How Prince Harry & Prince William’s Rocky Relationship Could Mess Up Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee!

It’s almost time to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, but one very important person on her guest list still hasn’t RSVP’d!

Prince Harry has had a tumultuous relationship with his family ever since he moved back to the US and spilled many of his family’s dirty secrets during an explosive tell-all with Oprah Winfrey last year. And the drama has only escalated his feud with brother Prince William — so much so that it remains unclear if he will travel back home to honor his grandmother!

ET’s royal expert Katie Nicholl has been following the situation closely, especially now that Harry has filed a lawsuit in the UK over security concerns for his family. There have also been reports that Harry was “banned” from family events, including William’s upcoming 40th birthday party (though a source denied those rumors).

To show just how willing the family is to reconcile with Harry, an insider confirmed he was invited to attend a special thanksgiving service in honor of Prince Philip next week. Harry has already declined, suggesting he’s the one holding a grudge of sorts. It remains unclear why he’s choosing not to attend. His ongoing legal battle might be the reason, but he’s notably still traveling to the Netherlands next month to attend his beloved Invictus Games, so traveling doesn’t appear to be the problem here.

Nicholl had this to say on the matter:

“This has, of course, raised questions about relationships with his family and even with the queen, who he was once so close to. We know that Prince Harry was totally able to come over to the United Kingdom, he obviously feels he can’t because of the security situation with his family. But he’s come over very safely before, he did it twice last year. And he’s coming over for the Invictus Games, so, I think a lot of people are wondering why he can’t be there for such an important family occasion, given he hasn’t seen the queen since last summer.”

Seriously — why can’t he go?

Most are blaming his rift with William. Another source noted the divide between the brothers remains “complicated.” They notably live “very separate lives,” which is part of the reason William has reportedly left his brother off some important party guest lists, Nicholl continued:

“William didn’t invite Harry to a party at Kensington Palace following the unveiling of [Princess] Diana‘s statue to thank some of those who had been involved in actually getting the statue to happen, and I think the idea that everything is going to be fine and he’s going to have Harry at his 40th birthday is simply not going to happen. It’s very obvious that this is now a distant relationship. It’s very clear this is a distant relationship. There is an ocean between them. There is a lot of unresolved issues and it’s simply not the case that we are going to see happy family reunions.”

Wow. That’s pretty sad.

Similarly, another insider told the outlet that it’s Harry’s upcoming memoir that deepened the divide, they claimed:

“The family is still concerned about what private family matters may be revealed in Harry’s upcoming memoir and that creates a complicated situation.”

The book, due for release in late 2022, is all about “the experiences, adventures, losses and life lessons that have helped shape” Harry. We have no doubt it will be very revealing given how open the Cali resident has been in the past year! No wonder the royals are freaked out!

After what happened with the Oprah interview, the Brits are afraid of the drama the 37-year-old might stir up, the confidant added:

“Family members are still concerned about speaking candidly. Even a year after the Oprah Winfrey interview, there is still hurt and disappointment.”

The only thing at this point that could bring the brothers back together is the desire to continue to honor their mother’s legacy, the source insisted:

“William and Harry remain committed to carrying on their mother’s legacy and that is a bridge that ultimately could help mend fences. Despite the issues that exist, Harry has said he still loves his brother, and the family will always love Harry. The queen is extraordinarily fond of her grandson and Harry has enormous respect for Her Majesty.”

Enough respect to pay tribute to the 95-year-old in person?!

We’ll have to wait and see. It would definitely put a damper on the celebration to have such a noteworthy family member skip out, especially if he’s been traveling around the world anyway. But if Harry does get himself to the party, we hope the brothers can set aside their differences for the Queen’s sake!

Thoughts? Can you believe Harry might not attend?

[Image via WENN /Avalon]