Prince Harry's recent offer to resume royal duties met a 'swift and brutal' response, writes RICHARD EDEN. And no wonder. William is adamant that little brother Harry MUST apologise...

King Charles is keen to mend fences with his younger son but there can be no return to royal duties for Prince Harry unless he quits money-making enterprises and issues an apology.

That’s the view of Richard Eden - who says that elder brother Prince William is unbending on the issue.

Writing in the latest edition of his Palace Confidential newsletter, Eden concludes that recent events provide a foretaste of life for Harry when William is on the throne.

The younger brother, he says, is likely to be isolated. 

Prince William is unlikely to compromise on the question of a return to royal duties for younger brother Harry

Meghan and Prince Harry attend the Invictus Games One Year To Go winter training camp at Whistler last year

Prince Harry with Will Reeve, son of  Superman actor Christopher, and a correspondent on Good Morning America

Father and son as they arrive at St George's Chapel ahead of the Committal Service for the Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022

‘What I hear is that, while the King is keen to mend fences with his younger son, Prince William is adamant that the Royal Household should stick with the Sandringham summit agreement with Queen Elizabeth of 2020,’ writes Eden.

As the late Queen put it, in that agreement  Harry and Meghan 'made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives'.

Eden believes recent suggestions saying the Duke of Sussex was willing to return to a temporary royal role in support of his father were well-sourced.

In an attempt to help to heal the rift in the Royal Family, King Charles and Prince Harry were said by The Times to have had several 'warm exchanges' since Charles received his cancer diagnosis.

The duke was understood to have told friends that he would step into a royal role while his father was unwell.

Yet the response from sources in Britain, rather than California, was ‘swift and brutal’, writes Eden.

‘The King, my colleague Rebecca English was told, was firmly of the opinion that there was no way back for Harry as a working royal "in any way, shape or form".

Meghan and Harry made surprise appearance in Jamaica as the King prepared for treatment on an enlarged prostate 

Duke of Sussex in Whistler to publicise next year's Invictus Games 

‘Now, Harry wants to return to royal duties, in some form, I am told. But this week he’s been given a taste of what to expect when his brother is King – isolation.

‘There is no way that the Sussexes will ever be allowed to rejoin ‘The Firm’ when William’s on the throne, unless they give up money-making and apologise for their behaviour over the past few years.

‘I won’t hold my breath.’

For more of Richard's expert royal commentary, click here

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