Prince William and Prince Harry honour Diana’s legacy separately amid deepening rift

It’s not quite Cain and Able, or even Noel and Liam Gallagher but the famous feud between Prince William and Prince Harry has churned enough headlines to power a small start up company.

Now, in a sign that reconciliation between the two looks unlikely, the fighting princes have shared separate messages to the recipients of 2024’s Diana Award.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the award that commemorates their mother, the late Princess Diana, and honours young people “who work to improve the lives of others.”

In what can be seen as a sign of their very different personalities, 42 year old William penned a heartfelt letter praising the “extraordinary” recipients for their “kindness and compassion”, and wrote that he was “so proud of the impact every one of you has had on your communities and beyond.”

The Prince of Wales added that “my mother… would be immensely proud of you.”

Meanwhile Harry, 40, will share a likely moving video during Thursday’s virtual ceremony that will emphasise his mother’s enduring legacy.

GB News reported that the Duke of Sussex will share how the charity’s mission will inspire young people to make “positive change.”

“No matter the challenges we face, whether it’s climate change, mental health or systemic injustices,” Harry said.

The Montecito-based royal added that he was still inspired by his mother’s memory and explained how Diana’s “belief in the power of young people to drive positive change continues to inspire me.”

It is a particularly poignant message, as the late Diana worked so hard to ensure her sons were close in her lifetime.

While the relationship between Prince Harry and Prince William has been strained for some time, one royal expert has claimed the divide would have left Princess Diana “devastated.”

The insights into the brother’s strained relationship come after William mentioned his younger brother in a recent documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness. During the documentary, William reflected on visiting a homeless shelter alongside his mother and Harry when they were children.

While some considered this to be a possible olive branch from William, royal author and journalist Phil Dampier doesn’t believe William’s comment means the frosty relations between the brothers will end anytime soon.

“It’s been seen by some as an olive branch to Harry because he’s mentioned him for the first time in six years in this documentary,” he told The Sun.

“I don’t see it that myself. I think the rift between them is still as wide as ever, unfortunately.

In addition to Dampier’s sombre assessment of William and Harry’s relationship, he shared his thoughts on how their late mother, Princess Diana, would have felt about her sons’ feud.

“I’m sure Diana would be obviously devastated to see what’s happened between the two brothers,” he said.

“She’d obviously be very upset to see that they’ve drifted apart so much and have fallen out so badly.

“I mean, obviously, if she’d still been alive, you’d like to think that that wouldn’t have happened in the first place.”