Prince William and Harry aren’t ‘offering an olive branch’ to each other, friend claims

Prince William and Prince Harry are not offering an olive branch to each other before the unveiling of their late mother Princess Diana’s statue, a friend has claimed.  

The Duke of Cambridge, 39, and the Duke of Sussex, 36, are expected to put any tensions aside for the poignant event on Thursday 1 July at Kensington Palace. 

But according to The Sunday Times, mutual friends of the brothers don’t believe they will be able to put their rift behind them – despite being in the same country for the first time since their grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral on 17 April. 

‘Neither are offering an olive branch,’ wrote one. ‘I fear it will be the same as at Prince Philip’s funeral, a nod of recognition and that’s about it.’

Pictured, Princess Diana with her sons Prince William and Prince Harry during a holiday with the Spanish royal family at the Marivent Palace in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, August 1987

Another source went on to admit that they are worried that ‘on the day it will be difficult to separate the statue from the occasion, which is now loaded with all sorts of unwelcome baggage.’ 

It comes in the aftermath of Harry and Meghan Markle’s explosive two-hour CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey which aired in March, where the royal made reference to his relation with William amid reports the brothers had fallen out in the wake of Brexit.

Prince Harry told the talk show host: ‘As I’ve said before, I love William to bits. He’s my brother. ‘We’ve been through hell together. I mean, we have a shared experience. But we’re on different paths. 

The Duke arrived at Frogmore Cottage on Friday after flying into Britain to begin his five days of self-isolation ahead of attending the poignant statue unveiling. 

During the bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview (pictured), Prince Harry made reference to his relation with William amid reports the brothers had fallen out in the wake of Brexit

The princess loved to walk in the palace gardens and would often stop to chat to the staff. Pictured, the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace

Prince Harry landed in time to serve out his ‘amber list’ quarantine at his former Windsor home before the event, on what is his first trip back home since his grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral ten weeks ago.

Frogmore Cottage was initially gifted to Harry and Meghan by the Queen after the couple’s wedding. But they gave up the property after dramatically quitting frontline royal duties and moving to the US.

The keys were later handed to Princess Eugenie, who is living there with husband Jack Brooksbank and their recently born first child August. Harry will reportedly be staying with the couple during his UK visit, with cottage having been divided up into two sections to make it Covid-safe, according to The Sun.

The Diana statue was commissioned to mark the twentieth anniversary of Princess Diana’s death and recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world.

It will be installed in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace on 1st July 2021, marking The Princess’s 60th birthday.    

The brothers announced the commission of the statue two years ago on the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death, and the initiative is one of their few remaining join ventures after a rift between the siblings and Harry’s move to the US.

The statue’s sculptor, Ian Rank-Broadley, is most recognised for his depiction of the Queen, which has appeared on all coins in the UK and Commonwealth since 1998. 

He also designed a gold coin marking the Queen’s diamond jubilee in 2012.