Prince William would rather ‘keep Harry at arms length’ during his May visit for a sad reason, according to a royal expert.

Prince Harry is expected to return to England from his home in California in May. The Duke of Sussex is thought to be hoping to reconcile with his older brother amid their ongoing rift. Now Royal expert and author Tom Quinn has revealed the reunion Harry had hoped for might not be that straightforward.

In an exclusive chat with The Mirror, Tom said: “William would much rather keep Harry at my arms length, simply because of this trust issue – if William felt Harry could be relied on, he would certainly want him back in the UK, because this is one of the most stressful times in William’s life.

“But with a brother who can’t fully be trusted, the situation is a nightmare. If Harry was welcomed back into the fold, it would be even more stressful for William because he’d have Kate to worry about, but also Harry with all Harry‘s volatility and tendency to take offence.

Prince William would rather ‘keep Harry at arms length’ during May visit for heartbreaking reason ( 
Image:
PA)
“The key thing about Harry is that in many ways he is still the 12-year-old boy he was when his mother died. His emotional development arguably stopped at that point, so the little boy in him imagines that his big brother will ultimately always forgive him whatever he says, and however much he drags their disagreements into the public sphere.”

Tom’s comments came as The Mirror revealed Prince Harry is expected to visit the UK in May and make “efforts” to see Prince William. Following the Princess of Wales ‘ cancer diagnosis, the Duke of Sussex is thought to want to offer his support to the Royal Family, which would include meeting his older brother, the Prince of Wales.

Prince William would rather ‘keep Harry at arms length’ during May visit for heartbreaking reason ( 
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Getty Images)
However, royal expert Quinn told us any meeting would “last a short time” so that the two brothers can “avoid any difficult conversations”. In February, Harry’s meeting with King Charles was kept to just 30 minutes after he flew in from LA to see his father after his cancer diagnosis.

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, royal expert Tom said: “Given Kate’s cancer diagnosis, Harry will certainly make efforts to see his brother and Kate when he returns to the UK in May – if it happens at all it’s to be a very brief carefully choreographed meeting and organised to last a short time so that the brothers can avoid any difficult conversations.”