Prince Harry and Prince William are expected to display a united front at the unveiling of a statue of their late mother, Princess Diana, on what would have been her 60th birthday in July.
It is likely to be the first time the brothers will meet since Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle gave an interview to Oprah Winfrey that made accusations of racism within the British royal family.
They have not seen each other in more than a year. On Thursday William said he had not spoken to his brother since the interview, but there have been suggestions the pair may have texted this week.
The brothers will "come together", with William ready to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Harry, the Daily Mirror reported, citing royal sources.
"Tensions are undoubtedly running high but they both realise it is important to put any differences aside for the ceremony at least," the source said.
"There is definitely a feeling that both camps are prepared to come together and put on a united front for such a special occasion."
The brothers commissioned the statue in 2017 “to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue”. It will be installed at Kensington Palace and has been created by artist Ian Rank-Broadley.
During the interview with Winfrey, Prince Harry said: “As I said before, I love William to bits. We’ve been through hell together and we have a shared experience, but we are on different paths.”
On Thursday Prince William rejected claims the royal family was racist and said while he not spoken to his brother since the Winfrey interview, he intended to do so. It is said they have not spoken in months.
Peaches Golding, the Lord-Lieutenant of the County & City of Bristol and someone who has worked with the brothers’ father, Prince Charles, to increase diversity, said she believed members of the royal family were “not racist”.
“From my perspective I have never worked with a kinder, more respectful group of people,” she told BBC Radio 4.
It is unclear whether Prince Harry, who is in the US, will attend any other major events this summer, such as his grandfather’s 100th birthday, because of the birth of his second child.
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New polling suggests public opinion of Prince Harry and Meghan fell in the wake of the interview.
According to YouGov data, 45 per cent of Britons have a positive opinion of Prince Harry and 48 per cent regard him negatively. It is the first time attitudes have been more negative than positive.
For Meghan, 31 per cent see her positively, compared with 58 per cent who have a negative opinion.
