Kate Reportedly Tells William Rift With Harry 'Can't Go On' as Sussexes Settle Back Into Life in Britain

LONDON — Kate, the Princess of Wales, has grown frustrated by the lack of progress in repairing the rift between her husband, Prince William, and his brother, Prince Harry, and has told William the situation cannot continue indefinitely, according to an unverified report citing an anonymous source.

The claims, published by British celebrity magazine Heat and later picked up by entertainment website Reality Tea, have not been confirmed by Kensington Palace or by representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Royal households typically do not comment on reports based on anonymous sources.

The report comes as Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, made their first joint public engagement in Britain since moving back from California, drawing renewed attention to the long-running family estrangement.

'She can't keep living in this situation'

According to the source cited by Heat, Kate had previously decided to step back and allow the brothers to resolve their differences on their own, but has become frustrated after seeing little to no progress toward a reconciliation.

"She's told William that she can't keep living in this situation long-term," the source told the magazine.

The source said Kate wants to do what she can to ease tensions between the brothers but has her limits.

"She won't go as far as meeting up with Harry behind William's back, but she is very loudly voicing her opinion that this simply can't go on," the source said.

The source also claimed the issue had become a strain, saying William has put up "this huge wall around the subject" and becomes annoyed or shuts down whenever Kate raises Harry.

Conflicting reports

The claims add to a flurry of competing reports in British and American media about the state of relations between the two households, many of them based on unnamed sources and some directly contradicting one another.

Earlier this week, a source dismissed as "nonsense" a separate report claiming that Harry and Meghan were planning to apologize to William and Kate. That earlier report had claimed the Sussexes wanted a sit-down meeting to address past comments and that Meghan would apologize.

A source quoted by Vanity Fair recently claimed that William remains "pretty furious" and has had no contact with his brother. That source said the Sussexes' return had temporarily derailed the Waleses' plans but that the couple were now focused on their work.

Royal biographer Russell Myers has said William and Kate do not view their public duties as a competition with the Sussexes.

None of these accounts have been confirmed by the royal households.

Waleses stay focused on duties

William and Kate have continued carrying out royal engagements without publicly addressing the family tensions. In recent weeks, the couple have made a growing number of joint appearances, including a visit to a church regeneration project in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and events at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Their silence also comes amid scrutiny surrounding a new book by Charles Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana, according to the report.

Sussexes return to public view

On Thursday, Harry and Meghan were greeted by hundreds of well-wishers in Nottingham, England, as they visited three charities in their first official joint engagement since relocating to Britain in August with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Harry told one well-wisher it was "great" to be back, according to the BBC. A spokesperson for the couple said they were in Nottingham primarily because they support the organizations they visited.

The couple remain non-working members of the royal family, a status confirmed in a letter issued on behalf of King Charles III after their return.

A long estrangement

The relationship between William and Harry has been strained since Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States.

In the years that followed, the couple criticized the royal family in a television interview with Oprah Winfrey, a Netflix documentary series and Harry's memoir, "Spare," in which he described private family disputes, including a physical altercation with his brother.

The brothers have rarely been seen together in public since, appearing at a handful of family events such as the funeral of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 2022.

Kate, who was once seen as close to Harry, has largely stayed out of public view on the matter. She has also faced her own personal challenges, including a cancer diagnosis in 2024. She announced in January 2025 that she was in remission.

Public opinion

The family rift continues to draw strong public interest in Britain. Recent YouGov Ratings data showed William and Kate remain far more popular than Harry and Meghan in Britain, though the Sussexes' ratings have improved somewhat since their return.

With both couples now living in Britain, royal watchers will be closely following whether the brothers have any contact, particularly around family gatherings such as Christmas.

For now, both households have kept their public focus on their charitable and official work, and neither has commented on the latest reports about the state of their relationship.