Prince William and Harry are both ‘still committed’ to coming together for the unveiling of a statue of their late mother Princess Diana in London this summer.
The Duke of Cambridge yesterday became the first royal to address the string of allegations made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this week.
William admitted he had not even spoken to Harry about the TV show – five days after it aired – however royal editor Russell Myers said today that the pair are still prepared to display a united front later his year in honour of the Princess of Wales.
Appearing on Lorraine this morning, Myers predicted a ‘monumental period’ for the two brothers, whose rift was laid bare once again following claims made by Harry and Meghan in their explosive interview.
Prince William and Harry are both ‘still committed’ to coming together for the unveiling of a statue of their late mother Princess Diana in London this summer. Pictured, the brothers with Diana in 1987
The Duke of Cambridge yesterday became the first royal to address the string of allegations made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this week
He said: ‘William is still committed, as is Harry, to get together on July 1st for the unveiling of the Princess Diana statue at Kensington Gardens.
‘So this could be a monumental period for these two brothers. We’ve spoken about this rift for so long, but this would see them coming together for the greater good and I’m sure everyone will be delighted if that happens .’
The brothers will reunite once more when they reveal the commissioned statue of their mother Princess Diana on July 1 at Kensington Palace, on what would have been her 60th birthday.
During his interview with Orpah on Sunday, Prince Harry made reference to the rift with his brother, saying: ‘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.’
Royal editor Russell Myers said today that the pair, pictured together in 2018, are still prepared to display a united front later his year in honour of the Princess of Wales
The hope of repairing a rift between the brothers comes after William insisted the royals were ‘very much not a racist family’ as he and wife Kate visited a school in east London to support a youth mental health support service.
Russell went on: ‘We haven’t heard from the palace directly but people I’ve spoken have said indirectly the Queen and Charles were rather happy that William had spoken out.
‘So I think that tells you about the tension that has been running highly over the past few days
It’s quite unprecedented for royals to speak to reporters in that way, Charles was at a vaccination centre during the week and was asked whether he’d seen the interview and let out a nervous chuckle.
‘But William took it head-on, and I think he’s being wildly celebrated for doing so.’
When Sky News reporter Inzamam Rashid shouted out two questions on their departure William did not blink. ‘Sir, have you spoken to your brother since the interview?’ he asked.
Appearing on Lorraine this morning, Myers predicted a ‘monumental period’ for the two brothers, whose rift was laid bare once again following claims made by Harry and Meghan in their explosive interview
Russell went on: ‘We haven’t heard from the palace directly but people I’ve spoken have said indirectly the Queen and Charles were rather happy that William had spoken out’
The prince replied tersely: ‘I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I will do.’
As William and Kate walked on, the reporter persisted: ‘Can you just let me know, is the Royal Family a racist family?’
William turned so his voice could be heard and said, clearly and firmly, despite his mask: ‘We’re very much not a racist family.’
The frustration in his voice, and on his face, was clear. Kensington Palace declined to comment, saying the duke had said all he wished to say.
The prince’s comments were praised by insiders, who said the 38-year-old did ‘very well given the emotion and enormity of it all’.
Terse: William yesterday answered questions called out by Sky reporter on London school visit with Kate and an unnamed woman on whether the Royal Family was racist. ‘We’re very much NOT a racist family,’ William replied to the question
His rebuttal came after Buckingham Palace issued a statement on Tuesday on behalf of the Queen expressing the family’s sadness at learning the ‘full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan’.
William and Harry first announced the commission of the statue on the 20th anniversary of their mother’s death in 2017, and the initiative is one of their few remaining joint ventures.
The Princes convened a committee to commission and privately raise funds for the creation of the statue and hope that it will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on their mother’s life and her legacy.
There is still uncertainty about whether the Duke will also attend other upcoming events such as the Trooping the Colour on June 12 or the Duke of Edinburgh’s 100th birthday on June 10 due to arrival of his second child this summer.