<\/p>\n
Prince William has deliberately distanced himself from Prince Harry, deepening a rift that remains unresolved six years later.<\/p>\n
The claim was made by Princess Diana\u2019s former butler, Paul Burrell, who said he doesn\u2019t believe the siblings will reconcile anytime soon \u2014 if ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s one-time footman has written a new memoir, \u201cThe Royal Insider,\u201d<\/a> in which he details his decades-long career serving in the British royal household and his encounters behind palace doors.<\/p>\n PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN MARKLE FACE SLIM PATH TO RECONCILING WITH THEIR AILING FATHERS, HEAL FAMILY FEUD: EXPERTS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI think William has distanced himself from Harry<\/a> a lot more than people realize,\u201d Burrell told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause William\u2019s path is very different from Harry\u2019s. As he gets nearer and nearer to the throne, which will be in a few years, he has to remain isolated. He has to be in a world that is very tight and protected.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe can\u2019t let things leak out,\u201d said Burrell. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t want to live in a world with a leaky sieve. He doesn\u2019t want to live in a world that can\u2019t be controlled because, to be a monarch, you have to control the environment. You have to look after the crown.\u201d<\/p>\n WATCH: PRINCE WILLIAM HAS \u2018DISTANCED HIMSELF\u2019 FROM PRINCE HARRY: AUTHOR<\/strong><\/p>\n Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace for comment. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital, \u201cWe don\u2019t comment on such books.\u201d<\/p>\n Harry has been estranged from his family since he and his wife, Meghan Markle,<\/a> stepped back as senior royals in 2020. At the time, they cited the unbearable intrusions of the British press and the lack of support from the palace as their reasons for the move.<\/p>\n After the couple settled in California, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex aired their grievances in interviews and documentaries. Harry\u2019s 2023 memoir, \u201cSpare,\u201d which revealed embarrassing details about the House of Windsor and exposed his rivalry with William, further strained relations.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Royal experts previously told Fox News Digital that William and Harry are not on speaking terms.<\/p>\n But the brothers\u2019 feud may have begun well before Harry\u2019s exit from the U.K.<\/a><\/p>\n When the 41-year-old began dating the former American actress in 2016, the relationship progressed quickly, with the \u201cSuits\u201d alum meeting senior royals early on. The couple announced their engagement in November 2017 and married the following year.<\/p>\n According to multiple royal experts, William, 43, was concerned about Harry\u2019s whirlwind romance and reportedly advised him to \u201ctake as much time as you need\u201d before making a lifelong commitment.\u00a0<\/p>\n William\u2019s view, as portrayed in these accounts, was to ensure Harry didn\u2019t rush into marriage before Meghan, 44, fully understood the pressures of royal life as a newcomer.<\/p>\n Harry, however, is said to have interpreted William\u2019s caution as a lack of support \u2014 or even skepticism \u2014 toward Meghan. Experts say that\u2019s when their relationship turned frosty.<\/p>\n LIKE WHAT YOU\u2019RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Today, Burrell said William is focused on protecting his family from potential new tell-alls and leaks \u2014 leaving little room for reconciliation and cementing the brothers\u2019 deepening divide.<\/p>\n \u201cOur dear late queen<\/a> put the crown first,\u201d Burrell explained. \u201cIt was the most important thing in her life \u2014 her crown, her people, her Commonwealth of countries. William sees it differently. He puts his family first \u2014 his wife and children \u2014 then comes the crown.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, \u201cthe crown has to be protected,\u201d Burrell said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat thousand years of royal history has to be protected, and that will be in William\u2019s hands,\u201d said Burrell. \u201cHe can\u2019t afford to let it break while he\u2019s in control of it. So, William is very mindful, and his world is very, very protected. His little bubble of himself, [his wife] Catherine<\/a> and the children are isolated in a way. But he has to do that to keep it safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do applaud Harry\u2019s move,\u201d said Burrell. \u201cIt\u2019s not easy for any member of the royal family to tread a different path. But I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any room for reconciliation. I don\u2019t think that is [happening] anytime soon, if ever. Because you see, too many words have been said, and too much dirty laundry has been laundered in public, really, for the royal family. That\u2019s unforgivable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHarry knew the rules,\u201d Burrell added.<\/p>\n In May, Harry told the BBC<\/a> he wanted to reconcile with his family.<\/p>\n \u201cI would love reconciliation with my family,\u201d he said at the time. \u201cThere\u2019s no point in continuing to fight anymore. I don\u2019t know how much longer my father has.\u201d<\/p>\n Harry admitted that \u201csome members of my family will never forgive me\u201d for writing his memoir<\/a>. He added, \u201cIt would be nice to have that reconciliation part now. If they don\u2019t want that, that\u2019s entirely up to them.\u201d<\/p>\n Burrell claimed the queen \u201creluctantly\u201d allowed her grandson and his wife to leave the U.K. He said the late monarch once held high hopes that the couple would play a significant role in supporting the monarchy.<\/p>\n \u201cShe wanted them to stay in the royal family,\u201d said Burrell. \u201cI think they could have done incredible work within the royal family as the queen\u2019s ambassadors, and now the king\u2019s ambassadors. His son and his daughter-in-law would be highlighting people\u2019s plight and going to countries in the world that need help, the way Diana did. I think the king would\u2019ve loved that and Harry would\u2019ve loved that.\u201d<\/p>\n Burrell said Harry and Meghan\u2019s push for independence came at a steep price \u2014 one William has not forgiven or forgotten.<\/p>\n MEGHAN MARKLE HAS ONE CONDITION FOR RETURNING TO THE UK WITH PRINCE HARRY: EXPERTS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt broke the line and the thread between them and the royal family \u2014 appearing on national television to discuss private matters, entering the world of commercialism, selling your soul to the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe royals don\u2019t do that. The royals keep tight, and they keep close to each other. Look at the difference between William and Kate and Meghan and Harry. A huge world apart. Those two worlds will never come together again.\u201d<\/p>\n