Where Do William And Harry Really Stand Today?

Family strain in the royal family has remained a central issue, particularly between Princes William and Harry. Since Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have carved out a new life for themselves in California, tension has escalated between the brothers. Added to this pressure was Harry and Meghan's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, which arguably did not paint the royal family in a positive light.

The brothers have seen each other since the interview. Their first face-to-face meeting after Harry and Meghan's tell-all came in April 2021, when Harry joined the royal family in England for Prince Philip's funeral, according to Us Weekly. They came together again in July for the unveiling of the statue of Princess Diana in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, per the outlet. They even released a joint statement for the event, saying: "Today, on what would have been our mother's 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength, and character — qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better."

Clearly, the brothers can come together for important public moments but where do they really stand today? Keep reading.

There's reportedly still a long way to go for Princes Harry and William. Omid Scobie, who co-wrote "Finding Freedom" with Carolyn Durand, spoke to Entertainment Tonight about where the brothers are today. "The relationship between Harry and William is still very much one of distance," Scobie explained. "I don't just mean physical [distance], across the Atlantic, but they are not talking that much, and that is exactly how sources close to William have put it."

Scobie added that there's still a soreness about the ways in which Harry and Meghan Markle have distanced themselves from the royal family. They've seen each other since Harry and Meghan's departure, as Us Weekly notes, but they're by no means back to normal. "Unfortunately, that has not led to any sort of bigger movement," Scobie said. He added, "These are still two brothers who aren't in regular communication, or in much communication at all, and I think they remain on these very different paths."

One reason for the ongoing strain is that the brothers have different goals. "They are very different men. And I think that William has certainly become someone who is really living his life for the crown, for the institution," Scobie explained. "Harry has really sort of gone completely in the opposite direction." Still, Scobie doesn't say the situation is hopeless. It's just going to take a while, and the brothers need to understand and accept their diverging paths.