William needs assurance ‘private talks with Harry stay private’ as Gayle King leak was ‘final straw’, says source
It has been a difficult year for Prince William and Prince Harry. The brothers have reportedly been at loggerheads ever since the Oprah Winfrey interview took the world by storm. Prince Philip's death shortly after that did not help matters. And now, amid talks of peace-making, new reports say William wants to ensure that future talks with his brother Harry will stay private -- especially after Gayle King previously revealed that their family chats weren't "productive."
It was during Prince Philip's funeral, when Harry flew back to the UK to grieve with the royal family leaving wife Meghan Markle behind, that the brothers actually saw each other for the first time since the tell-all Winfrey interview. But even then, walked alongside each other with cousin Peter Phillips as a buffer in between.
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Prince Philip's funeral took place merely weeks after Harry and Meghan's bombshell interview with Winfrey on March 7, one which not only shook the world but also sent shockwaves throughout the very foundations of the royal family. According to Vanity Fair, one family friend said Harry was met with "frostiness from many members of his family" after the widely televised interview.
What made matters worse is that following the interview, Meghan’s friend Gayle King revealed on her show 'CBS This Morning' on March 16 that Harry had actually spoken to his brother and Prince Charles, but that the talks were "unproductive."
Reportedly, it rubbed people from the royal family the wrong way. One source reportedly said, "Harry was out in the cold after Oprah and then when details of private family conversations were leaked to Gayle King it was the final straw. Some family members cannot believe what he has done, but there is a feeling that with the Duke’s death and the family coming together, conversations need to be had."
At the same time, it looks like the brothers are still trying to mend their relationship. Vanity Fair claims that on Saturday, April 17, after the service, William spent some "time alone" with Harry walking around the Queen’s private gardens. The magazine also goes on to claim that Prince Charles is "desperate" for a reconciliation with his son while William is more "hesitant."
Why is Prince William 'hesitant'?
A source reportedly said, "William needs to know he can trust Harry and that private conversations will stay private." According to the latest reports, the source also said William and other family members "have some very strong feelings about some of the things Harry and Meghan said on Oprah."
"Things need to be talked through, but this was not the occasion and everyone respected that," they said, adding that "It’s going to take more than a wake to sort things out, but this is hopefully a start.”
At the moment, Harry is still in the UK, apparently "felt terrible leaving Meghan" and "wants to get back to her as soon as possible." The media is rife with speculations that should Harry decide to leave at the earliest, he will miss the Queen's birthday on April 21, when she turns 95.
'Unproductive' conversations and King's claims
So what had Gayle king done that upset the royal family to this extent? During the Winfrey interview, Harry and Meghan had made a few accusations against the royal family, one of them being that of racism. In another instance during the interview, Meghan took a shot at William’s wife Kate. Following the outcry, the Palace deemed it fit to not provide any comments on the fallout of the interview.
King at the time had revealed that she spoke to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex a week after the interview and made the "unproductive" chats claims. She said, "Well, I'm not trying to break news, but I did actually call them to see how they were feeling, and it's true, Harry has talked to his brother and he has talked to his father too. The word I was given was, those conversations were not productive. But they are glad they at least started a conversation."
"And I think what is still upsetting to them is the palace keep saying they want to work it out privately, but yet, they believe these false stories are coming out that are very disparaging against Meghan, still," she added.
.@GayleKing says Prince Harry & Meghan also shared that no one in the royal family had spoken with Meghan as of this weekend. Gayle continued, “They want healing in this family. At the end of the day, that is Harry's family.” pic.twitter.com/Sv0rgiD6YL
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) March 16, 2021