The rift between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton may never heal, according to new claims. However, royal experts tell Fox News Digital that might not exactly be the case, and instead, a reconciliation has simply been put "on ice."
British journalist Jennie Bond told OK! Magazine this week that Middleton has been so "hurt and insulted" by Harry and Markle’s actions since leaving the royal family that she has allegedly "closed her mind" to a reconciliation.
Bond said, "When you come from a happy, united family — as Catherine does — it’s incredibly hard to understand how people can become estranged."
She continued, "I think she believed the rift could be fixed and, after Prince Philip’s funeral, we saw her talking with Harry and obviously encouraging William to do the same. But we now know that it didn’t work."
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Bond continued her claim, saying, "In fact, William and Harry had a blazing row right after the funeral. There comes a point when you just have to accept that happy families are not a game that everyone can play."
Princes William and Harry’s grandfather, Prince Philip, died in April 2021. Harry and Markle had stepped back from the royal family in 2020 and later moved to California.
Royal expert Shannon Felton Spence told Fox News Digital she doesn’t think the door to repairing the relationship of the once-"Fab Four" is closed entirely.
"That’s counter to everything I know about Catherine. She is not cold or hard. She is a kind person," Felton said. "She cares deeply about Harry and about family in general. They are all hurt, but she knows they are family."
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"No one has closed their mind to reconciliation, they’ve just put it on ice," she continued. "It seems like everyone has quit pushing, and they are just all giving the rift some space. I don’t think you can measure these things. They were a unit that has split into two conflicting camps. Everyone is hurt. Everyone has hurt everyone."
Christopher Andersen, author of "The King," told Fox News Digital that the Prince and Princess of Wales are focused on their royal duties.
"They have neither the time nor the energy to waste on trying to lure Harry back into the royal fold," he said.
However, don’t expect Middleton to continue to play peace broker.
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"Kate's days of being a go-between in this brother-against-brother scenario are over. So, the Prince and Princess of Wales are just soldiering on," Andersen said.
He added, "That said, Kate, who has proven herself over and over again to be the most solid, reliable and resilient member of the royal family, has not turned her back on Harry entirely. She's simply not as petty, fragile or vindictive as everyone around her."
Helena Chard, royal broadcaster and royal photographer, agreed that Kate and William have much more than their strained bond to worry about.
"Kate and William realize that they can’t waste time and overthink the relationship breakdown. They need to concentrate on their family and their service to the sovereign and people of the U.K. and commonwealth," Chard told Fox News Digital.
Chard did think that either William and Harry’s aunt, Anne, the princess royal, or possibly their mother’s brother, Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, could help their relationship, "but time will be the biggest healer."
Experts also speculate that the possibility of a reconciliation remains distant over Harry’s comments about his brother and sister-in-law in his memoir, "Spare."
"When you think of the personal revelations — and I think you can call them snide remarks made about Kate in ‘Spare’ — Harry broke the one rule, and that is staying silent on family matters," royal expert Katie Nicholl told The Sun last week.
"I don’t think Kate does angry," she continued. "I think it is more a case of feeling very disappointed, very let down and feeling hurt knowing that she had no right of reply — and Harry knew full well she had no right of reply."
"She tried to get the brothers back on an even keel, and for Kate to be dragged into this mucky saga was upsetting for her and certainly did infuriate William," Nicholl told the outlet.
Andersen expects the divide to deepen and possibly remain permanent if, as he predicts, Markle releases a memoir of her own.
"That will almost certainly be packed with explosive new revelations about the royal family, and it's hard to imagine Kate would emerge unscathed. Maybe that would be the final blow that pushes Kate over the edge — the one thing that prompts her to finally slam that door shut forever. We'll have to see how the drama continues to unfold," he said.
Chard noted that "Harry has hurt Kate far more than Meghan" in the long run and that the siblings-in-law had a good relationship.
"The dynamics changed shortly after Meghan arriv[ed] on the scene" Chard said, adding, "Kate is hugely disappointed with Harry."
Kinsey Schofield, host of the "To Di For Daily" podcast, suggests one method of healing the situation.
"The Princess of Wales would gladly welcome Prince Harry back ... if he was single. But I don't see a world where Meghan's influence isn't considered a toxic one that amplifies Harry's lack of judgment," she told Fox News Digital.
She continued, "They have proven … in the form of reality television, books and podcasts … that they cannot be trusted and that there is a bitterness or vengeance at the core of all that they pursue."
Schofield cited "Spare," their Netflix docuseries, their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and Markle’s Spotify podcast as outlets where both have expressed their dislike for certain aspects of the royal family but seem to continue to reap the benefits of publicity from speaking out.
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"The well's run dry on royal revelations, and since the two attract such tabloid fodder ... with a lack of connection to the royals ... it is obvious that all attention would turn to Harry and Meghan and the state of their relationship," she suggested.
She added, "Harry's family recognizes that the Sussexes don't have the right work ethic or objectives required to keep up with senior members of the royal family. They've also proven to be incredibly disloyal."
"Harry and Meghan seem more than willing to participate in this tattletale cancel culture while preaching not to judge people by their past from the Invictus Games stage."
During the closing ceremony of this year’s Invictus Games, created by Prince Harry, the Telegraph reported that he delivered a speech that spoke to not being judged by past pain.
Markle joined her husband for the event and the two celebrated his 39th birthday during the games with some PDA.
Prior to the Invictus Games, Prince Harry stopped in the United Kingdom the day before the one-year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death in support of the U.K. charity WellChild, which marks the achievements of seriously ill young people.
At the time, Schofield told Fox News Digital, "I suspect that Prince William is dreading Prince Harry’s arrival. Especially when William and Catherine are expected to publicly acknowledge the anniversary of the late queen’s passing."
Prince Harry did not appear to cross paths with his family, though he did visit the burial site of his grandmother at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, per a report from People.
