Prince William has effectively cut ties with his estranged brother Prince Harry amid fresh turbulence surrounding the Sussexes’ return to Britain, according to a royal commentator close to the situation.
Kinsey Schofield, host of the “Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered” podcast, told outlets this week that William, 44, has “largely washed his hands” of the ongoing family drama. The assessment comes after Harry, 42, and Meghan Markle, 45, pulled their children from a UK prep school just two days into the new term, citing security concerns.
“The Sussexes’ presence will always generate noise and distraction, and I think the first few weeks have demonstrated exactly why the royal family remains concerned,” Schofield said.
She pointed to what she described as a mounting pattern of controversy: Harry’s unsuccessful campaign for taxpayer-funded police protection, King Charles III’s public clarification that the Sussexes are no longer working royals, and now the last-minute school withdrawal playing out across headlines.
“Now a school change being played out across the front pages,” Schofield said. “This is precisely the kind of rolling Sussex narrative the Royal Family has spent the last several years trying to move beyond.”
The school move involved Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, who had begun classes at a private institution with annual tuition exceeding $35,000. A spokesperson for the couple confirmed to Hello! Magazine that “the decision for the children to move school was taken following a discussion with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements.”
Heavy traffic during the commute had allegedly strained the family’s small security team, given the distance between their residence and the campus. A source close to the couple told Hello! That “it’s a real shame, because they absolutely adored the school, the kids and their parents.”
“It was perfect for them in every way and the children really enjoyed their time there,” the source continued. “They really wanted to make it work, but they had to make a difficult decision based on the fact that the team couldn’t make the school run operationally secure.”
Archie and Lilibet have since been enrolled in a nearby alternative, with Harry and Markle reportedly already joining parent WhatsApp groups for the new institution.
Schofield drew a sharp contrast between William and Kate Middleton’s parenting approach and that of the Sussexes. “The Prince and Princess of Wales are trying to provide stability for their own children while Prince George begins an enormous new chapter at Eton,” she said, referring to the 13-year-old’s enrollment at the prestigious Windsor prep school.
“I can understand why another cycle of Sussex drama would be viewed as an unwelcome distraction,” Schofield added.
She further noted that William believes “firmer boundaries” should have been established with Harry and Markle “much earlier.” The Prince of Wales appears unwilling to be pulled into responding to each new “grievance or controversy” from the California-based couple.
The brothers’ estrangement persists despite Harry’s physical return to the UK. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated from their $14 million Montecito mansion in late August, chartering a six-figure private jet for the transatlantic move on Aug. 26. Sources had previously said the couple intended an “extended period” in Britain partly so their children could be closer to Charles, who revealed his cancer diagnosis in 2024. The King reportedly learned of their plans only days before the news became public.
Another insider confirmed that William and Harry remain on non-speaking terms even after the latter’s homecoming.
Schofield emphasized that William’s stance toward his younger brother differs fundamentally from their father’s. “Charles is still Harry’s father and there will always be an emotional component to that relationship,” she said. “William can afford to be much more pragmatic.”
“From his perspective, I suspect the boundaries are already established and Harry’s choices, and the consequences of those choices, are now Harry’s responsibility,” Schofield continued.
The Sussexes had reportedly been house-hunting in the Cotswolds before their August relocation.
“At this stage, I think he has largely washed his hands of the situation,” Schofield said of William. “He has his own family to protect and his responsibilities as Prince of Wales.”