William and Harry’s LA showdown: Duke of Cambridge is planning a 6,000 mile trip to try to heal the rift with his brother

With the distance between Princes William and Harry at an all-time high, the brothers are under pressure to resolve their issues face-to-face in an attempt to rebuild bridges and restore order between them.

• Prince William is said to be planning to fly 6,000 miles for a Los Angeles showdown with brother Prince Harry.
• The Duke of Cambridge is said to be determined for a fresh start with the Duke of Sussex .
• In other royal news, Prince William has discussed his lockdown weight loss after revealing a trimmer figure.

In an effort to repair their bond, we can reveal Prince William is thought to be preparing to fly to Los Angeles for talks with his estranged brother.

An insider reveals, ‘He thinks Harry might be too stubborn to visit the UK any time soon, and their recent dialogue has been awkward and forced, to say the least.

‘It breaks William’s heart to be at odds with his younger brother, so he’s willing to organise a short private trip to sit down and work through their issues. He wants this for them as brothers more than anything, but also for the monarchy as a whole.’

The planned meeting comes after court papers presented in the ongoing court battle between the Duchess of Sussex and Associated Newspapers claimed Meghan felt ‘unprotected by the institution’ of the monarchy when ‘false’ media reports emerged during her pregnancy with Archie.

Offering an olive branch

‘William being prepared to travel to California speaks volumes about how badly he wants to work things out,’ reveals our source. ‘It’s been almost seven months since Harry jetted out of the UK [in January] to be reunited with Meghan and their son in Canada before [later] setting up home in Los Angeles. And any parent will know how precious close family time is – especially with young children. Archie is almost 15 months old and, to put things into perspective, not only is he believed to have taken his first steps, he’s also spent more of his life outside the Royal Family than he has within it.’

There are expected to be plenty of issues brought to the table following the brothers’ reported 2018 falling-out. According to sources at the time, Harry told Wills he wasn’t doing enough to include Meghan in the Royal Family. But our insider explains why William is so keen to work through any issues: ‘Everyone knows they’ve had their differences but, at the end of the day, he adores Harry, and blood’s way thicker than water. He wants to look him in the eye, hear exactly what Harry’s grievances are and talk through everything rationally and calmly.’

William is expected to wait until it’s deemed safe enough, in the context of the pandemic, to travel 6,000 miles overseas for the trip. Despite it being potentially daunting, if they can work things out and get back to normal, it may set the tone for a new sense of positivity towards Harry and Meghan.

Leading by example

Despite having to take into account the time difference, Harry regularly communicates with William, his grandmother the Queen and also with his father, Prince Charles.

It seems that it’s Harry’s son Archie who fills any awkward silences. Our insider reveals, ‘Archie’s the star turn during these calls. Meghan will politely say hello on occasion, though, generally speaking, she doesn’t really participate and she certainly isn’t conversing with Kate or vice versa.

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‘William wants to change that, but he knows that neither will be pushed into anything they’re not comfortable with. William is keen to clear the air on a brotherly level and hopes things fall into place from there.’

A fresh start

The talked-about ‘reconciliation vacation’ is expected to see William spend a couple of nights at his brother’s mansion in LA. Our source said, ‘It’s got everything that’s needed from a security and amenities standpoint, though they’ll find it nerve-racking and highly unusual, without a doubt. But it’s a big step that they’re both open to this, and the common view is that only good things will come from it.’

The school holidays have given the Cambridges a more flexible schedule without the need for homeschooling, so Prince William is said to be working out the logistics of the trip. Our insider adds, ‘He’s looking forward to a new start between himself and Harry.’