Royal expert Rebecca English has dismissed suggestions that Prince William should reconcile with Prince Harry as "absolute rubbish." The debate follows the arrival of the Sussex family in Birmingham and the Cotswolds, amid ongoing disputes over taxpayer-funded security.
The September 2022 silence between William and Harry
The relationship between the Prince of Wales and his brother has reached a historic low,with reports indicating the two have not spoken since the funeral of the late Queen in September 2022. This prolonged estrangement reflects a broader trend of fragmentation within the House of Windsor, where personal grievances have increasingly spilled into the public eye. For many observers, the rift is no longer just a private family matter but a symbol of the tension between the monarchy's traditional expectations of duty and the Sussexes' pursuit of personal autonomy.
As reported by Palace Confidential, the brothers failed to meet during Prince Harry's most recent visit to Britain in July. This pattern of avoidance suggests that the distance between the siblings is not merely geographical, but deeply emotional,leaving the prospect of a sudden reconciliation unlikely despite the couple's recent return to the UK .
Rebecca English's rejection of the 'bigger man' narrative
Speaking on a panel of experts, Daily Mail Royal Editor Rebecca English expressed anger toward those urging Prince William to "be the bigger man" and initiate a reconciliation. English argued that Prince Harry's behavior since "Megxit" has been sufficiently "nasty" and "vindictive" to justify the current state of estrangement. According to English, the personal attacks leveled by Prince Harry against Prince William, Catherine, and the royal institution itself make a siimple apology insufficient.
English maintained that if a sibling had behaved similarly toward her, she would never speak to them again. She suggested that Prince William should be "personally applauded" if he chooses to maintain this boundary, asserting that the pressure for the Prince of Wales to extend an olive branch ignores the reality of the emotional damage caused by the public disputes.
The May 2025 Court of Appeal ruling on police protection
Beyond the familial rift, a significant legal battle persists regarding the safety of the Sussexes. Prince Harry lost a Court of Appeal challenge in May 2025 concerning his entitlement to police protection. this legal struggle stems from a 2020 decision to downgrade his security after he stepped back as a working royal and relocated abroad, a move that Prince Harry has claimed makes it impossible to envision bringing his wife and children back to his homeland safely.
The arrival of Prince Harry, Meghan, and their children in Birmingham by private jet this Wednesday—followed by a trip to the Cotswolds for the children's schooling in September—puts this security issue back in the spotlight. The clash between the legal ruling and the physical presence of the family in the UK creates a precarious situation for the Home Office and the Palace.
The tension between veteran safety and the UK's cost-of-living crisis
The debate over security funding has divided royal commentators, highlighting a clash between humanitarian needs and public sentiment. Ailsa Anderson, a former press secretary to the late Queen , warned that providing full taxpayer-funded protection to the Sussexes would provoke public fury, particularly as many British families struggle with the rising cost of living.
Conversely, Daily Mail Editor-at-Large Alison Boshoff argued that the threats facing Prince Harry as both a royal and a military veteran are real and objective. Boshoff asserted that security is not a "popularity contest" and that the risks justify the expense. This leaves a critical question unanswered: how will Buckingham Palace and the UK government "sell" a potential security package to a skeptical public, and will the government prioritize the safety of a non-working royal over the fiscal concerns of the general population?
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