By Molly Claire Goddard
2:14pm PST, Feb 9, 2026
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According to historian and writer
Tessa Dunlop, a reunion between
Prince William and
Prince Harry could be a positive move for the existence of the monarchy. "At its best, the royal family is the nation's symbolic repository in an increasingly divided world," she wrote for
The i Paper.
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Although
Prince William isn't king yet, if he wants to ensure The Firm's longevity, he should fix his broken relationship with
Prince Harry. "The late
Queen Elizabeth II has always been the obvious model for William's future reign: a unifying figure, a point of stability across the generations, and crucially a monarch who comes to the throne without the baggage of his father [
King Charles III]," Tessa Dunlop said.
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Tessa Dunlop believes that if
Prince William lets go of the tension, he will be highly respected by the public. "Yet any hopes of that will be dashed if William cannot bring himself to offer
Prince Harry a rapprochement," she said. "Forgiveness, after all, is an essential prerequisite for a future defender of the faith."
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"To have any chance of halting the royal family's decline, 'Willy' [
Prince William] needs to set aside his differences and offer 'Harold' [
Prince Harry] an olive branch," Tessa Dunlop said. "Siblings can be hugely triggering, and the peace offering would no doubt cause William great pain. But the gains would be enormous."
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Prince William putting the past behind him to reconciling with
Prince Harry and
Meghan Markle would send a strong message of unity. "To welcome the Duke of Sussex back into the fold would set William apart as the redemptive Prince, a man well equipped to broaden monarchy's appeal for the next generation. What a pity the prospect is just a pipe dream," Tessa Dunlop said.
