Their relationship has gone from best friends to fully estranged in the seven years since Meghan Markle arrived on the scene. But last week Prince William and Prince Harry were reunited at long last by the memory of their late mother, Princess Diana. The brothers both took part in the annual Diana Award, helping to honour young people for changing the world. And despite not being in the same room, insiders say this could be a huge step in the right direction for peace talks. The only problem? Harry’s wife is worried where a reunion might leave her…

‘Harry’s on a mission to get back into his big brother William’s good books this year,’ says an insider close to the Duke of Sussex who quit royal duties – and the UK – after marrying former Suits actress Meghan in 2018. ‘Harry knows there’s a huge mountain to climb when it comes to mending fences. They’re still miles apart on so many issues, and so much has happened between them – especially in the last six months. There’s a lot of resentment on both sides, but at the end of the day, Harry’s realised this is his only brother. He still loves him dearly and misses their closeness. He says time’s been a great healer for him and he’s ready to look past any grudges and get back to being there for each other – if William can do the same.’

The surprising alliance was revealed last week, when the two princes appeared in videos – separately – for the Diana Award ceremony. The non-profit organisation has worked to honour the legacy of Princess Diana, who would’ve turned 62 last week, but sadly died in a car accident in 1997. She was known to be passionate about her charity work, once commenting, ‘Young people have the power to change the world.’ This year there were 189 young people honoured as ‘changemakers’ from 31 different countries, with William calling them ‘inspiring’ in his speech. The 41-year-old Prince of Wales congratulated recipients of the award, adding, ’When we invest in young people, when we provide them with the tools and opportunities to make a difference, they can truly change the world. A belief shared by my mother, and one I am proud to continue in her name.’

In his video, Harry, 38, talked about unity, saying, ‘As we come together, I am reminded of the profound belief my mother held in the transformative power of young people. She recognised their unique ability to challenge the status quo and push for a more inclusive and compassionate society. Her legacy continues to inspire.’ Repeating his message about forgiveness and joining together – perhaps hoping Wills was listening – he added, ‘Obstacles can sometimes seem overwhelming. But what gives me hope is the collective power we possess when we work together.’ The charity CEO Tessy Ojo seemed grateful for the feuding brothers’ cooperation, saying, ‘They want to walk in their mother’s footsteps. We are very grateful and privileged that we continue to have both their support in supporting young people on a personal level.’

As Closer recently told you, Harry has been keen to build some bridges with his family, promising to stop with all the ‘royal bashing’. It follows months of painful revelations about the state of relations between the previously close brothers, with Harry opening up in TV interviews, podcasts, his docu-series Harry & Meghan, as well as his explosive memoir, Spare. Harry detailed the family fallouts after he met Meghan back in 2016, revealing how William had called his new wife, ‘difficult’, ‘rude’ and ‘abrasive’. It led to an alleged physical fight with his ‘archnemesis’ brother, leaving him bleeding after landing in a dog’s bowl ‘which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me.’

And friends say, naturally, Meghan, 41, is now worried where a reunion would leave her. ‘It’s a difficult scenario for her,’ says an insider close to the Duchess, who is mum to Archie, four, and two-year-old Lilibet. ‘After everything that’s happened, she doesn’t really trust Wills or any of the royals. She and Harry fell out with them after the way they treated her. So what does that mean if Harry apologises and is brought back into the fold? It’s been made clear to her that she’s not welcome at the Palace, so is Harry just going to leave her at home in California when he visits his family? On the other hand, she does understand that Harry misses them and needs to understand what his place will be in the monarchy going forward. The Waleses are absolutely central to the House of Windsor and will of course be King and Queen one day. So it’s in both Harry and Meghan’s interest to make peace with William at some point. It’s just a question of when.’

The brothers were last seen together at their dad, King Charles III’s coronation on 6 May, but sat rows apart, with the Duke flying home to LA only hours later. ‘Harry has done a lot of soul searching since the Coronation,’ says Closer’s source. ‘He’s desperately lonely and scared of what the future holds. He doesn’t know what his overall place will be in the royal family going forward if he and his brother can’t hash out some kind of peace treaty.’ Luckily, we’re told he has an ally in the form of his sister-in-law, Kate Middleton. The source continues, ‘Harry still talks to Kate occasionally, and she’s assured him this grudge with William won’t last forever. Having her in his corner gives Harry a lot more hope that he can settle things with his family one day. She’s been chipping away at William behind the scenes for a long time now, telling him to find room in his heart to pick up the phone and soften his stance towards Harry. But she also thinks Harry should make the first move. Up until recently, Harry’s been so defensive about his wife. It’s what led to his bust up with William in the first place and is the main reason Wills cut him off. Kate thinks they have a chance of making up if Harry can reach out to William for a private chat and leave the Meghan issue to one side. But that would of course hurt Meghan, who wants them to be seen as a team. It’s a difficult decision and Harry’s struggling with what to do next…’