Prince Harry has been back in the UK this week for a charity engagement, donating a substantial sum to Children in Need before sharing afternoon tea with his father, King Charles. But despite the visit, there was no reunion with Prince William, whose busy schedule reportedly left no room for a meeting.

The absence of brotherly time came as Harry found himself back in the headlines, with former US president Donald Trump appearing to take a swipe at him during a state dinner last week. Harry and Meghan now live in California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, far from the family ties that once seemed unbreakable.

In his memoir Spare, Harry revisited a happier time with William, recalling the moment he shared the news that Meghan was expecting their first child. The couple revealed their secret at Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank in October 2018, just before setting off on their first official foreign tour.

Harry described pulling William aside after the drinks reception in St George’s Hall, writing: “We whispered the news, and Willy smiled and said, ‘We must tell Kate.’” When they shared the news with the Princess of Wales, “she also gave a big smile and hearty congratulations. They both reacted exactly as I’d hoped.”

The Duke also remembered telling King Charles, who he said was “delighted to learn that he was going to be a grandfather for a fourth time.”

While his memoir laid bare deeply personal moments, Harry has stood by his decision to publish. In an interview with The Guardian, he dismissed criticism that he had exposed too much: “I don’t believe that I aired my dirty laundry in public. It was a difficult message, but I did it in the best way possible. My conscience is clear.”

For now, though, reconciliation with William remains uncertain. Their relationship, once defined by closeness, continues to be strained as Harry navigates his life across the Atlantic.