Harry and William keep in touch through regular Zoom chats amid rumors of rift: 'It keeps the pressure off'
After he has had supper with his wife Kate and put their three children to bed, Prince William regularly checks up on how his brother Prince Harry is doing via regular chats on Zoom, according to a royal insider.
The source told Fabulous Digital that the Duke of Cambridge, 37, conducts the video calls from the private sitting room at Anmer Hall, a Georgian country house in the village of Anmer in Norfolk, England, which was was a wedding gift to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge from the Queen. His timing for calling Harry could not be better as it coincides with the Duke of Sussex's lunchtime, who is staying with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their son, Archie, at Hollywood tycoon Tyler Perry's $18 million mansion in Los Angeles. The video-calling platform also works for both the princes as it's easy to set up and doesn't involve any awkward scheduling.
"William finds Zoom a good, informal way of keeping in touch, and some would say 'tabs', on his younger brother," the source, who is close to both the brothers, told the publication. "These calls are made from Anmer's private sitting room. It's not the room that Kate and William use for their public zoom sessions." There have been "several" calls between the two and William is "very anxious" to keep the calls "low key and casual."
"Just two brothers have a chat. No-one else is involved. It takes the pressure off," the insider told the publication. "There is nothing formal about these Zoom sessions. It's about keeping in touch that's important."
The news came as the Daily Mail reported on Sunday that former Welsh Guards officer Mark Dyer was appointed in a new role to act as a pivotal go-between in the sensitive business of building bridges between the two royal brothers, in the wake of a rumored 'rift' that had formed between them in the days after Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step down as senior members of the royal family. "Long transatlantic chats between Mark and Harry have started to reap healing dividends between the brothers. His advice to the Prince was 'talk and listen'," a friend told the outlet.
We previously reported that Harry has been leaning on his elder brother as he struggles to settle in LA after Megxit. “Moving to a completely different country is never easy for anyone, including Harry. And he wasn’t expecting to be faced with so many obstacles,” the insider told Us Weekly. The source added that the 35-year-old had “unrealistic expectations” of what life in Los Angeles would be and “saw L.A. through rose-colored glasses”.
The insider mentioned that the Duke of Cambridge has advised his younger brother to “return to London or move elsewhere, somewhere safer.” “He’s concerned about his brother’s well-being and safety.” It has also been reported that the Queen and Harry are also in contact with each other during this transitional period. She has “been reaching out to Harry to see if he’s OK and has offered to help out if needed.”