They used to be each other’s closest allies and confidantes, united by their unique childhood and experiences. But these days, there’s more than an ocean separating Prince William and Prince Harry – in fact, the brothers are worlds apart, thanks to their bitter two-year feud.
And while insiders had hoped that time would heal their wounds, it seems the reverse has happened. In fact, we’re told, Harry’s recent actions – including the decision to snub his late grandfather Prince Philip’s memorial service next week – have apparently shocked and appalled William, and have made him reconsider any olive branches he was willing to extend, including the pressing matter of whether he should include Harry in his 40th birthday celebrations.
According to insiders, William has decided that, rather than wait for Harry and wife Meghan Markle to decline, he’s simply not going to invite them. “William still loves Harry – that will never change – but his apparent insensitivity makes him persona non grata at the moment and it will take some miracle for that to change,” says a source close to Wills, who will be turning 40 on 21 June.
Check out: 11 TOWIE couples you completely forgot about
11 TOWIE couples you completely forgot about - slider
1 of 11Mark Wright and Sam Faiers
Mark and Sam's on/off relationship goes all the way back to when she was 16 and they met on MySpace (aw, those were the days). They briefly dated during their time on TOWIE but were never able to give things a proper go before he quit the show in 2011.
2 of 11Kirk Norcross and Amy Childs
Kirk and Amy's flirtationship was one of the main storylines during the first season of TOWIE and they eventually briefly dated before splitting in 2011. In a 2013 appearance on This Morning, Kirk admitted, "I will still love Amy until the day I die - she is literally like the girl version of me. When it didn't work out, it broke my heart really... and it wasn't her fault, it was both of our fault."
3 of 11Gemma Collins and Charlie King
Gemma and Charlie briefly dated in 2012 but split after she grew concerned about his friendship with Bobby Norris. Two years later, Charlie came out as gay during an appearance on This Morning. He's still friends with Gemma and even admitted in 2017 that he would consider being the GC's sperm donor if she asked.What a turn of events that would be.
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4 of 11Lauren Goodger and Tom Pearce
Remember the days when Joey Essex's BFF Tom Pearce romanced basically every woman within a 10 mile radius of Brentwood? Lauren Goodger became one his many conquests following her split from Mark Wright but they hit the rocks when she caught wind of him bragging about their rendezvous.
5 of 11Mario Falcone and Chloe Sims
It's fair to say Chloe Sims has been unlucky in love over the years but things looked up for her when she began dating close pal Mario. Things moved quick for the pair and she even admitted she loved him - causing friction with BFF Lauren Pope who'd previously dated Mario - but he wasn't ready to settle down and called things off.
6 of 11Harry Derbidge and Bobby Norris
After three years away from the TOWIE scene, OG cast member Harry Derbidge returned as Bobby Norris' boyfriend (in some very skimpy swimwear, nonetheless) during the cast's annual jaunt to Marbs.Their relationship ended in tears though when Harry confessed to sleeping with his ex while on holiday in Tenerife.
7 of 11Dan Osborne and Lucy Mecklenburgh
They've now found love with soap star other halves Jacqueline Jossa and Ryan Thomas but before that, Dan Osborne and Lucy Mecklenburgh were an item.They began dating in 2013 but called it quits amid claims he knew about his ex Megan Tomlin being pregnant before getting with Lucy.
8 of 11Charlie Sims and Ferne McCann
Ferne McCann's on/off relationship with Chloe Sims' brother Charlie provided LOTS of dramz on TOWIE over the years, with rumours she cheated on him cropping up more than once.Eventually Charlie publicly quit the show AND dumped Ferne at the same time in a series of tweets in 2014. Awks...
9 of 11Dan Edgar and Kate Wright
Before she wed footballer Rio and became Mrs Ferdinand, Kate Wright joined TOWIE as the ex of Dan Edgar, who reportedly dumped her to star in the show.She took him back after his romances with Lauren Pope and Jess Wright but it wasn't to be and they eventually split for good.
10 of 11Shelby Tribble and Tom McDonnell
Tom McDonnell joined TOWIE alongside a whole host of newbies including Harry Lee and Chloe Brockett in 2019 and soon caught the eye of Shelby Tribble following her split from Sam Mucklow.Sam soon came back on the scene though and Shelby dumped Tom to reunite with her ex. Sam and Shelby later quit the show together and are now expecting their first child.
11 of 11James Argent and Jasmin Walia
In between his long-running relationships with Lydia Bright and Gemma Collins, James Argent was set up on a blind date with Jasmin Walia and they appeared to hit it off. Things seemed to move too quickly for his liking though, causing him to run from her house after being introduced to her parents. Oh, Arg...
“The feeling is that, even if Harry and Meghan decided to come to William’s celebration, and that is a big if, their presence would bring a whole fresh set of problems, and nobody wants that. The sad truth is that William barely recognises, let alone relates to, his younger brother any more.”
Last week, there was reported uproar inside the palace, after Harry confirmed that he wouldn’t be attending Philip’s memorial service later this month, but then revealed hours later that he would be travelling to The Hague for the Invictus Games in April.
Harry’s decision to skip the memorial follows a statement made by his lawyer last month that he “does not feel safe” in the UK amid his ongoing court case against the government over its decision not to allow him and Meghan to pay for their own police protection. It also follows a year of outbursts against his family, as well as rumours that his upcoming memoir promises to alienate him further.
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At this point, it’s still unclear whether Harry will even come for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in early June. Meanwhile, we’re told that William is infuriated by Harry’s proposed no-show at Philip’s memorial, especially as he’s heading to the Netherlands for the Invictus Games soon after – he released a video last week, in which he dressed head-to-toe in orange to promote the event. As far as William sees it, Harry’s proved where his priorities lie.
“Even if his brother were to come to some type of compromise over his security concerns, that won’t change William’s position,” our insider tells us. “The bottom line is that he’s caused untold grief and stress within the royal family and the bad taste it’s left in everyone’s mouth simply isn’t going away anytime soon.”
As for the lucky lot who are invited to William’s big day, we’re told it’s shaping up to be a right royal knees-up. “Assuming her health permits, the Queen will host a banquet for William at Windsor, where she’ll gather all the senior royals together to toast the occasion,” says our source. “Kate and the kids also have a host of fun treats planned, including a long weekend on the Isles of Scilly and a big roast dinner at home.”
The source adds the final guest list is still to be confirmed, but by the sound of things, two names are a cert to be barred.