Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly hope 2021 will be a 'time of healing' for the royal family
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Mikhaila Friel
Jan 7, 2021, 17:18 IST
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were last photographed together at the Commonwealth Day service in March 2020.Phil Harris/Pool via AP Images
A source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex addressed their rift with the royal family, saying the couple hope 2021 will be a "time of healing."
"Family disagreements tend to lose heat with distance and time," the source told People magazine.
There were reports of a rift between the Sussexes and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's royal wedding in 2018.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly hope 2021 will be a "team of healing" for the royal family after the couple's rumored rift with Prince William and Kate Middleton.
"Family disagreements tend to lose heat with distance and time," the source added.
There were rumors of a rift between the Duke of Sussex and Duke of Cambridge after Harry and Markle's royal wedding in 2018. Harry confirmed they were "on different paths" when asked about their relationship during the ITV documentary "Harry and Meghan: An African Journey" in October 2019.
"Part of this role and part of this job, this family, being under the pressure that it's under, inevitably stuff happens," he said.
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"But look, we're brothers, we'll always be brothers," he added. "We're certainly on different paths at the moment but I'll always be there for him and as I know he'll always be there for me."
Harry, Markle, Middleton, and William were last seen together at a Commonwealth Day service in March 2020, which marked the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's final royal engagement. Photos from the event show that while the two couples sat just a row apart at the service in London's Westminster Abbey, they did not appear to acknowledge each other or make eye contact.
It's been rumored that the brothers spoke over video call when Harry and Markle moved to California last year, however, this is yet to be confirmed by their representatives.
This week marks one year since the duke and duchess announced their step back from the royal family. A source close to the couple told People that "it was always their dream to be financially independent and pay their own way."
"Despite everything that has been going on this year, they don't regret their move to the US," another source told the publication. "They love that they are able to focus on projects and causes that are important to them."
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Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex declined to comment when contacted by Insider.
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