Kate ‘was behind William’s olive branch to his brother Harry’ after Prince of Wales namechecked his brother in ITV homelessness documentary, sources say

Kate was the driving force behind Prince William‘s public olive branch to his brother Harry, it has been claimed. 

According to reports in Closer Magazine, the Princess of Wales encouraged her husband to name drop his estranged brother in his new documentary, ‘Prince William: We Can End Homelessness’. 

In the documentary, William recounts how Princess Diana took the brothers to a homeless shelter in London as children to show the realities of life outside the palace.

It is thought to be the first time the Prince of Wales, 42, has publicly named his brother, 40, in six years. 

Alongside poignant footage and images of the princes with their late mother, William says: ‘My mother took me to the Passage, she took Harry and I both there… I’d never been to anything like that before and I was a bit anxious as to what to expect.

‘My mother went about her usual part of making everyone feel relaxed and having a joke with everyone…I remember having some good conversation, playing chess and chatting.

‘You meet people, like I did then, who put a different perspective in your head.’

The relationship between the brothers has been strained for several years 

In the documentary, William recounts how Princess Diana took the brothers to a homeless shelter in London as children to show the realities of life outside the palace

Until this film, it is understood William has not uttered his brother’s name in a public speech or interview since 2018 when the two princes, alongside the Princess of Wales and Meghan Markle, were interviewed at the Royal Foundation Forum.

According to sources cited in Closer Magazine, the Princess of Wales, 42, who has been battling cancer, was the driving force behind the namedrop. 

‘Kate was very much behind William’s olive branch and has spent more time recently encouraging him to do more in her bid to heal their rift’, the source told Closer. 

‘Kate’s desperate for them to make up and feels the feud has gone on for far too long’. 

The relationship between the brothers has been strained since Harry and his wife stepped back from their royal duties in 2020, which was followed by a series of high profile interviews with the likes of Oprah, a Netflix documentary and the publication of Harry’s memoire, Spare. 

Harry was in the UK last month to attend the WellChild awards ceremony in London, to help celebrate the achievements and resilience of seriously ill youngsters and their families. But, it is thought the brothers did not make contact during his visit. 

According to sources, the Princess of Wales, 42, who has been battling cancer, was the driving force behind the namedrop.

It is understood William has not uttered his brother’s name in a public speech or interview since 2018 when the two princes, alongside the Princess of Wales and Meghan Markle, were interviewed at the Royal Foundation Forum

Harry and William attend the unveiling of a statue of their mother at The Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace

It comes after Harry has been increasing the number of solo tours and events he takes part in, having appeared at ten solo engagements in the space of 15 days without his wife as he embarked on a ‘quasi-royal tour’ across three countries, including New York, London and Lesotho. 

Last year, it was claimed that the pair spent extended spells apart but this was denied by sources close to them. It was said that, like any couple, they have disagreements but remained strong. 

Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.