William & Kate: FACING THE FUTURE ΤΟGETHER

IN THE WAKE OF PRINCE HARRY'S BOMBSHELL MEMOIR SPARE, THE ROYAL FAMILY IS SENDING A UNIFIED PUBLIC MESSAGE AS THEY PRIVATELY BATTLE OVER HOW TO RECONCILE THE GROWING RIFT

- SIMON PERRY, ERIN HILL and MONIQUE JESSEN

As Prince William and Princess Kate walked into the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital on Jan. 12, the clatter of camera shutters that always accompanies their royal engagements was punctured by a solitary voice in the crowd: "Were you hurt by the comments in Harry's book, sir?" Hours later, at a mental health charity in nearby Birkenhead, a reporter called out: "Have you had a chance to read your brother's book at all?" In both moments, the questions went unanswered as William, 40, kept his eyes forward and smiled as he approached the duty at hand. The day of outings marked the couple's first public appearance since the Jan. 10 release of Prince Harry's explosive memoir Spare, and the question on everyone's mind was how the royal family would react to the book's jarring allegations from William's alleged physical assault on his younger brother to damaging press leaks within the family.

But the royal family's reaction to the book, which has racked up record-breaking sales in its first few weeks, has been to not react. "They didn't want to fan the flames of the rift and the dispute," says royal correspondent Valentine Low, author of Courtiers. "They know that anything said in a statement or a briefing would prolong it. They wanted it to calm down as soon as possible. The longer it goes on, the less hope there is for reconciliation."