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Prince William Feels ‘Betrayed’ by King Charles After His Father Reconciled With Prince Harry
She hadn’t been included in the royal family’s Christmas Day walk to St. Mary Magdalene’s church in more than 30 years. But on December 25, 2023, Sarah Ferguson, 64, strolled side by side with King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate Middleton and the rest of the gang in Norfolk, England.
Reportedly, the new king is the one who welcomed the once-scandal-plagued ex-wife of Prince Andrew back into the fold after decades of exile — and she’s not the only person he’s recently made peace with. In Touch can exclusively reveal that Charles and estranged son Prince Harry are on good terms again! “They’ve had their differences, but Charles never stopped loving Harry. He was sad to lose him, even if he wouldn’t publicly admit it,” notes the insider. “So, when Harry reached out at the end of 2023, he was more than receptive. The father-son bond they share never went away, and they were able to mend things pretty quickly — much to the surprise of some family members.”
On the list of blindsided relatives? William. “He’s furious,” admits the insider. “His brother has caused so much drama for the royals that when William heard Harry and Charles were talking again, he told his father: ‘It’s Harry or me.’ And Charles chose Harry. Now William can’t help but feel betrayed.”
Fool Him Once…
William, 41, has good reason to be wary. Since stepping down as senior members of the royal family and moving to California in 2020, Harry, 39, and wife Meghan Markle, 42, have repeatedly bashed his relatives in TV and magazine interviews, a Netflix docuseries and in his memoir, Spare. From accusing William of being violent and hotheaded as well as unwelcoming to Meghan, to painting Charles, 75, as a cold father who planted unsavory stories about them, stopped taking Harry’s calls and cut them off financially, the pair haven’t held back on their criticism of the king and his heir.
They even lodged claims of racism at the palace, with it later being disclosed that it was Charles who questioned “how dark” their son Archie’s skin tone would be ahead of his birth in 2019. The shocking claim is one of the few that actually elicited a public response from William: “We are very much not a racist family,” he’s insisted.
Silly jabs made by Harry — like commenting on William’s “alarming” hair loss and recalling how Charles used to do headstands in his boxers to relieve neck and back pain — no doubt haven’t won him points with his brother, either. “William warned his father that it’s only a matter of time before Harry betrays the family again,” says the insider. “It seemingly fell on deaf ears, though.”
Perhaps, that’s because William and Charles’ own relationship has been on rocky ground of late. “Charles doesn’t feel pressure when talking to Harry, unlike William, who is itching to be king,” says the insider. “They’re locked in an ongoing power struggle.”
Things haven’t been any better between their spouses, Kate, 42, and Camilla, 76, says the insider: “Kate’s constant conflict with Camilla, about issues big and small, infuriate Charles. It appears to have further driven him, and Camilla, toward Harry and Meghan.”
The Fallout
The insider claims William has responded to his father and brother’s unexpected reunion by canceling upcoming official appearances. “As of now, he refuses to show up,” spills the insider. “He’s also giving Charles the silent treatment as a kind of revenge. There’s a lot of tension between them at the moment.”
Meanwhile, Harry — who confessed just last year, “I would like to get my father back” — Meghan and their two children, Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2, are slowly growing closer to Charles. “Charles has invited the kids to spend time with him at Balmoral,” shares the insider of the king’s idyllic retreat in Scotland. “He’s hated not being able to see and connect with his grandchildren over the past few years.”
He’ll likely be seeing a whole lot more of Harry and Meghan, as well. “Charles is giving them new roles in the monarchy, but has told them to stand by for the specifics,” spills the insider. “Let’s just say, William will not be happy about what’s in store. Rumor has it there’s going to be a major rearrangement of duties.”
The big news from Charles could push William over the edge. “He’s feeling beyond stressed,” says the insider, “and bitter.”
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