‘WE'VE LOST HARRY FOREVER'

A distraught William is still grieving for his late mother – and the close relationship he once had with his brother

When it was finally confirmed, after several years of planning, that the long-awaited unveiling of a Princess Diana statue at Kensington Palace would go ahead on July 1, it was always going to be an emotionally charged event.

Not least because insiders held high hopes that reuniting in their late mother’s memory would prompt the warring Wales boys to put their bitter feud behind them.

But as the poignant date – which would’ve been Diana’s 60th birthday – drew nearer, William and Harry’s resentment towards each other only grew, their rift widening as Harry, 36, and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, aired the palace’s dirty laundry in a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey and a subsequent podcast with actor Dax Shepard.

For his part, William, 39, has backed an external investigation into the duchess’ alleged bullying of his staff when she lived at the palace, prompting the Sussexes to label it a smear campaign against Meghan, 39, who they say is the true victim.

JUST AN ACT

Yet when the two smiling brothers came together to unveil the bronze memorial to their mother at the palace’s Sunken Garden, it appeared they’d finally been able to set their differences aside.

Putting on a united front, they released a joint statement that said, “We remember her love, strength and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better.