PRINCES William and Harry are set to face an almighty showdown this week as they meet in private for the first time since Prince Philip’s funeral.
The feuding brothers are expected to sit down behind closed doors on Thursday after the unveiling of the mum Princess Diana’s statue at Kensington Gardens.
Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest updates
Wills and Harry are expected to put on a brave face for the occasion, which would have been Diana’s 60th birthday.
But relations between the brothers remain raw after Harry’s bombshell Oprah interview and a stream of incendiary truth bombs he has dropped on the Royal Family since.
The Duke of Sussex, 36, told Oprah Winfrey in March that his relationship with his brother was one of “space” adding that he and dad Charles are “trapped” in the Royal Firm.
The comments come in a long list of criticisms the pair could discuss on Thursday with Wills likely eager to probe allegations of racism in the Royal Family and how they “neglected” Harry’s mental health struggle.
The pair were reported to have had a two-hour sit down chat after their grandfather’s funeral in April – but it’s since been said that wasn’t the case.
It means the brothers will have plenty to get off their chest this week – with the following key points possibly getting thrashed out.
Meghan’s bullying claims
Prince William reportedly “went ballistic” after finding out about bullying claims made against Meghan Markle by Palace aides – and as the Sussexes refute the allegations, the issue could come up on Thursday.
According to historian Robert Lacey, the Duke of Cambridge was “instantly furious” after discovering a “Dossier of Distress” compiled by Kensington Palace communications chief Jason Knauf.
Lacey claims in his book Battle of Brothers that William was “appalled” by the allegations and for him it allegedly clarified that “Meghan was fundamentally hostile towards the royal system”.
Matters came to a head when Jason Knauf, who worked in communications for both the Cambridges and the Sussexes, submitted an official email in October 2018 alleging Meghan had bullied staff.
Meghan fiercely denies the claims – and a spokesperson for her and Harry said she was the victim of a calculated smear campaign.
Racism in the Royal Family
During Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview, Meghan said son Archie wasn’t made a prince after “concerns and conversations” about “how dark” his skin would be when he was born.
The Duchess of Sussex said there had been conversations with Prince Harry and a “family” member about their unborn son and what colour his skin would be – and “what that would mean or look like”.
The claims raised questions of racism in the Royal Family, with Wills and Kate said to be deeply upset by the chat.
The Queen said the allegations of race were particularly “concerning” while William was quick to hit back, telling press the Royal Family is “very much not a racist family”.
William’s ‘dating advice’ for Harry
Insiders have previously said Harry’s over-protectiveness of Meghan fuelled the tension between them – with William reportedly sitting his younger brother down for a chat at the start of their relationship.
He is understood to have voiced concerns over Meghan joining the Royal Family and urged Harry to take it slowly.
But a friend previously said: “Harry went mental. He accused his brother of trying to finish his romance before it had begun.”
And Royal biographer author Katie Nicholl said in 2018: “William was concerned about how quickly the relationship had moved and wanted to make sure that Harry was making the right decision.
“What was intended as well-meaning, brotherly concern and a bit of advice went down quite badly with Harry, who felt William wasn’t being as supportive as he might have been.”
Charles’ parenting
Harry famously blasted dad Charles’s parenting back in May and said he moved to California to “break the cycle” of pain for wife Meghan and their kids.
The duke claimed his dad, 72, “suffered” due to his upbringing by the Queen and Philip, then “treated me the way he was treated”.
And in a sweary podcast chat with US podcast host Dax Shepard, he described royal life as a mixture of The Truman Show film and being in a zoo – something Wills could weigh in on.
Kate v’s Meghan
Both Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton could be absent from the unveiling of Diana’s statue on Thursday – with mum Meghan looking after new daughter Lilibet in the US and Kensington Palace officials saying the princes will only be joined by Diana’s close family.
But the duchesses could be a crucial topic of conversation for their husbands after Meghan told Oprah “everything changed” following a confrontation with Kate over bridesmaid dresses in the lead up to her wedding.
In November 2018, it was reported “Meghan left Kate in tears” over her demands for Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaids dress during a “stressful” fitting.
But the Duchess of Sussex said in March that she had been the one left in tears – saying it had been difficult to see a “narrative that didn’t happen” surface six months after the ceremony.
Asked if she made Kate cry, Meghan told Oprah: “The reverse happened. A few days before the wedding she was upset about something, pertaining to … the flower girl dresses, and it made me cry. And it really hurt my feelings.
“There wasn’t a confrontation and I don’t think it’s fair to her to get into the details of that because she apologised, and I have forgiven her. What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didn’t do, but that happened to me.”
Wills and Charles ‘trapped’
Harry sensationally said William and Charles were “trapped” in the Royal Family during his interview with Oprah in March.
When asked if he could have stepped back without Meghan, he said: “No. I wouldn’t have been able to. I was trapped but I didn’t know I was trapped.”
He added: “My father and my brother – they are trapped. They don’t get to leave and I have huge compassion for that.”
Harry later admitted his relationship with his dad and brother was strained and claimed his 72-year-old father stopped taking his calls after Megxit.
He also said he felt “really let down” by his father, adding: “Of course I will always love him but there’s a lot of hurt that’s happened and I will continue to make it one of my priorities to try and heal that.”
Royals ‘neglected’ Harry & Meg
During his Apple TV documentary Harry accused his family of showing “total neglect” for his and Meghan’s mental health struggles.
In the documentary, The Me You Can’t See, the Duke of Sussex spoke about trying to get help from his family while his wife was “struggling” while pregnant with Archie.
Harry said: “I thought my family would help, but every single ask, request, warning, whatever, it is just got met with total silence, total neglect,” he said.
It came after Meghan revealed during their Oprah interview that her mental health suffered while she was living in the UK and that she was not given the help she needed when she felt suicidal.
Harry’s future projects
William will likely have a number of question marks around Harry’s future projects in the US, as he continues to rake in deals while financially independent.
So far, a number of Harry’s megabucks deals have centred around his past life as a working royal, with a focus on sharing his struggle with others.
The openness comes in stark contrast to the Duke of Cambridge, who rarely speaks of his private life.
Will William demand a stop to Harry’s truth bombs? Or perhaps he will simply insist on a friendly heads up in future.
