Wills and Kate ‘did not meet Harry after Philip’s funeral over fears conversations would be leaked’, historian claims
PRINCE William and Kate Middleton did not have a sit-down chat with Harry after Prince Philip's funeral, a royal historian has claimed.
Robert Lacey, a historical consultant for Netflix's The Crown, says the Cambridges feared their conversations would be leaked as family anger "ran deep" during the emotional service at Windsor in April.
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Harry and Wills were seen walking and chatting together for around four minutes as they left their grandfather's moving funeral service earlier this year.
It was reported at the time that the brothers then spoke for two hours afterwards - alongside dad Charles - in attempt to patch things over in their first meeting since Harry's bombshell Oprah interview.
But Lacey claims the formal conference did not happen - with Charles said to have gone back to Wales and Kate and William nipping home to put their kids to bed.
Writing in an updated edition of his book Battle of Brothers, serialised in , the author says: "They told friends that they could see no point in talking to Harry, since any discussion of substance would go straight back to Meghan to be leaked out via Oprah [Winfrey] or some other tentacle of the Sussex network."
The Cambridges' alleged fears came after Meghan's pal Gayle King sensationally let slip that Harry had had "unproductive" talks with his brother and dad after his Oprah interview.
She told CBS news at the time: "Well, I did actually call them to see how they are feeling, it's true, Harry has talked to his brother and his father, too.
"The word I was given was, those conversations were not productive. But they are glad they at least started a conversation."
And experts have since said the royals will be cautious in what they say to Harry.
Royal author Phil Dampier previously told The Sun Online: "One of Charles and Williams’ big fears is that whatever discussions they have with Harry are immediately leaked.
"They will be worried that if they get into any great detail, the next thing they know it will be out in the public domain, which makes it extremely difficult to heal the wounds long-term."
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Royal commentator Angela Levin said in the days after Philip's funeral that any private conversations with the couple would appear on social media or in the press "in no time".
"I think the Royal Family would be crazy to talk to Meghan and Harry," she said.
"In no time it would be out in magazines and on social media."