Insider Reveals Prince William Sent a Last-Minute Text to Harry That Finally Brought ‘Royal Ceasefire'

Prince Harry is said to have a fractured relationship with his family since his royal exit. It's widely reported that Harry and Prince William are no longer on speaking terms after the former publicly aired private family matters. However, when their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, passed in 2022, the two brothers made a rare joint appearance with their wives. Opening up about the same, an insider claims that the Prince of Wales sent Harry a last-minute text inviting him and Meghan Markle to join the late Queen’s tribute walkabout.

On September 10, at Windsor, the Sussexes and Waleses awkwardly viewed floral tributes left for the late Queen. The source told the Daily Mail about the text, “It happened very quickly – remarkable really considering they didn’t see each other in Scotland.” The walkabout, which was originally planned at 4:30 pm, was pushed back by 45 minutes as the brothers hashed out a plan. The outlet reported that William believed that at this time of national mourning, a show of unity was needed for the late Queen. The insider adds, “These coming days are going to be extremely intense and getting through them without distraction can only be a good thing.”

William’s olive branch to his brother, however, allegedly wasn't his idea. As reported by The Mirror, royal author Omid Scobie wrote in his book, Endgame, that William was told to “swallow his pride and invite his brother and sister-in-law to join them when they greeted mourners and well-wishers in Windsor that day.” A source who spoke to Scobie said that King Charles had pressured him to invite his brother. Scobie penned, “With around forty minutes left before he planned to step out on Windsor Castle’s Long Walk with Kate, William sent his first text message in months to Harry, suggesting it would be 'good' if they came along, too.”

Commenting on why Charles pressured William to invite Harry, Sky News’ Maddie Hale claimed it was because Markle was allegedly planning to break ‘royal protocol’ by having her PR team arrange a separate walkabout. This reportedly forced the King to intervene and urge his sons to reunite publicly with their wives. Charles also believed that most of the news coverage focused more on the Sussexes' movements in the UK rather than the death of the Queen.

It has been widely reported that the walkabout was ‘the hardest thing Kate’s ever had to do.’ Royal commentator Rob Jobson penned in his book, Our King Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed, “Catherine later admitted to a senior royal that, such was the ill feeling between the two couples, the joint walkabout was one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do.” Since the walkabout, the ‘Fab Four’ have not united publicly for any other royal event.