As Prince Harry prepared to travel to London, England to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of his Invictus Games at a Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral on May 8, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly determined to remain "respectful" of Prince William and Kate Middleton's need for space.
“The Duke and Duchess want to be super respectful and don’t want to add stress to the situation,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly for the publication's latest cover story. “If Will and Kate want their space, Meghan and Harry will give it to them.”
The royal brothers have been publicly estranged since 2019, after the release of Prince Harry's tell-all memoir Spare and allegations that Prince William planted false and detrimental stories about Meghan Markle in the British press.
As Us Weekly notes, Prince William has "never addressed the accusations."
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018 in London, England.
After Middleton underwent planned abdominal surgery in January and—in the wake of intense scrutiny and a slew of online conspiracy theories—announced she was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle issued a statement of support.
“We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace,” the couple said in a statement to Us Weekly.
Another source told the publication that Middleton's shocking diagnosis and ongoing preventative chemotherapy treatments "put things into perspective” for the Prince and Princess of Wales.
“They want a relationship with Meghan and Harry and they don’t want the acrimony to carry over to the next generation,” the insider said. "They want to mend fences with them for the kids’ sake."
Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on the long Walk at Windsor Castle on September 10, 2022 in Windsor, England.
While it's unknown as to whether or not Prince William and Prince Harry will cross paths during the Duke of Sussex's upcoming trip, there's an arguably higher likelihood—but no guarantee, not by a long shot—that Prince William will spend some time with his father, King Charles.
According to Tatler, "amid other signs of warming relations between the two, onlookers are hoping that Prince Harry and the King will be able to spend some quality time together this week.”
King Charles and Prince Harry last saw each other on February 5, shortly after the King announced he was diagnosed with cancer. The pair only met for a reported 30 minutes, however.
A possible meeting between father and son, the publication reports, “hangs on the fact that both men are likely to be busy during Harry’s visit.”
