Prince William’s ‘last minute text to Harry sparked ceasefire’ between warring brothers’

Prince William and Prince Harry are now all but estranged – but the future King did extend an olive branch to his younger brother which saw them reunite in public.

Prince William and Prince Harry are no longer in contact, and there is no sign of a reconciliation on the horizon. But there was a time when they called a truce – for an incredibly poignant reason. Relations between the siblings are at an all-time low following the release of Harry’s memoir, Spare. During his most recent trips back to the UK, Harry has not seen his older brother – and while they will both make an appearance at an event tonight, organisers have ensured there will be no cross-over period between the Princes.

However, Prince William did extend an olive branch to Harry in 2022 – and it came in the wake of the death of their grandmother, the late Queen. William sent a final-hour text to Prince Harry inviting him and Meghan to join him and Kate on the Long Walk in Windsor, to view floral tributes and meet members of the public who had gathered to pay their respects.

It was the first time (and only time) that the two couples – who were previously known as the ‘Fab Four’ – have reunited publicly since the Sussexes stepped back from their roles as senior royals and relocated to the US. A well-placed source told the Daily Mail at the time: “It happened very quickly – remarkable really considering they didn’t see each other in Scotland .” The paper further confirmed that it was the Prince of Wales’ decision to send his younger brother the olive branch of joining him for the walkabout, and it was “absolutely not the case” this was done on the direction of their father, King Charles, as had been reported.

William felt that a show of unity was key during a period of national mourning out of respect for their grandmother. The walkabout was originally scheduled for 4.30pm but was reportedly pushed back by 45 minutes as William and Harry discussed their plans. The two brothers had both flown up to Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire to bid a final farewell to their grandmother, but tragically both missed her as she passed away at 3:10pm. Prince William then joined King Charles at his nearby Birkhall residence, while Harry remained at Balmoral.

Harry previously claimed he didn’t find out about his grandmother’s death from his family, but a royal author later stated that isn’t exactly true. The Duke rushed to be by the late Queen’s side when he learned of her worsening health in the hours before her death. When his plane finally landed in Balmoral, he checked the BBC website, which featured reports on the death of Queen Elizabeth II .

However, royal author Robert Hardman has said Harry’s recollection of events isn’t accurate. In his bombshell new book, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, Robert insists the Royal Family tried to get in touch with Harry.