PRINCE Harry has been spotted leaving Windsor Castle as he prepares to unveil a statue for his late mother alongside his brother.
The Duke of Sussex was pictured in London ahead of the ceremony in Kensington Palace.
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It will be the first time he’s seen brother Prince William face-to-face since Prince Philip’s funeral in April.
But Harry’s pal Omid Scobie says the pair will show “professionalism and nothing more” when they meet.
It comes as:
- William and Harry ‘swapped texts about the Euros’ but ‘relations are still strained’ ahead of the ceremony, sources say
- An expert claims Harry felt ‘silenced’ by his father after the inquest into Diana’s death
- The Duke of Sussex surprised poorly children at the WellChild Awards yesterday
- And he said baby Lilibet is ‘very chilled’ while Archie is ‘running around like crazy’
- It’s thought he and his older brother may hash it out behind closed doors today before he returns to the US
Although the brothers have messaged each other about England’s historic win over Germany in Euro 2020, Mr Scobie – the co-author of Finding Freedom – says a public reconciliation is hugely unlikely.
He told BBC Breakfast: “I think what we will see is two brothers extremely professional in a moment that’s not about them at all.”
However, he said the world will “see them put everything to one side” for the poignant day.
“Maybe, for us that are watching, we’re curious to see how they will be by their side with each other, but I think we will just see professionalism and nothing else.”
But he said the day will be a reminder to William and Harry that they were once very close.
“Despite the distances between the two brothers today, it’s a project that started with the two of them very much in communication with each other, working side by side, and I think today will be a reminder of that moment as they finally unveil this statue to the world,” he said.
Harry and William have been working together on the project since 2017.
But despite today’s ceremony marking the culmination of years of work, it’s understood the pair are barely speaking, while their relationship is “incredibly strained”.
Experts say today will be hugely important for their future relationship with one another.
Sources close to their uncle Earl Spencer, who will attend today’s unveiling, say the family hope they will be brought together as they remember their mother.
And speaking on Good Morning Britain, Kate Garraway said: “You’d be hoping they would both be thinking how upset Diana would be that there was a falling out between them and that might be just the trigger to start a conversation that gets things back on track.”
ITV’s royal editor Chris Ship, who was on this morning’s show, replied: “I think a lot of people watching this, a lot of people who have been saddened by the fall-out between these two brothers who were once so very close, would hope today could be a trigger, a moment for them to start talking again.”
Meanwhile, Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell said if the feud doesn’t end today, perhaps it never will.
“If this poignant day doesn’t do it, nothing will,” he said.
“If they stand in front of their mother’s image and think what she would have wanted, they will know the answer.”
And talkRADIO’s royal correspondent Rupert Bell told the station: “Maybe this statue is going to be a catalyst so the two brothers can actually hold a sensible conversation about life in general and remembering their mother.”
The brothers have started messaging each other about the football – but tensions remain, according to reports.
“It is still far from good between them,” a source said.
“But there has apparently been an exchange of messages, particularly about the football, which is a step in the right direction, if only to do honour to their mother.”
Meanwhile, royal insiders told the Mail that Harry has been told how much the royals hope to see his two-year-old son Archie again.
It is believed the Cambridges have seen Archie only once or twice since he was born.
