Prince William and his wife Princess Kate are said to be ignoring the Sussex 'circus' following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's shock return to the UK.
Instead, the future king is firmly focused on his royal duties - and it's business as usual for William.
The 44-year-old - who is said to have no desire to reconcile with his younger brother - is throwing his weight behind one of his most important projects, the Earthshot Prize. And he has written a personal essay, pleading for urgent action.
William has stated that action to tackle climate change should be sped up before it is too late. Current measures are proceeding at a snail's pace "inch by inch" and are nowhere near enough to address the problem, he added.
A four-year deadline to make a difference
Writing exclusively for The Independent, the Prince said a summer of "devastating" wildfires across Britain served as a "powerful reminder of the risks associated with a warming climate".
He added that his Earthshot Prize competition to find new ways to repair the planet shows that technological solutions can be found. But, while answers have been found, they are either not being used, or not being used fast enough to combat the emergency.
© Getty ImagesHe said action must be stepped up in what is left of this decade - essentially setting a deadline of 2030, less than four years from now.
"I have seen solutions already working and the impact they are capable of. That gives me optimism. Knowing that we no longer have time for inch-by-inch improvements, that change must be systemic and at scale, gives me urgency.
"The wildfires we have witnessed this summer are a reminder of why that matters. We can, and must, make the remainder of this decade count."
William's plans on Prince Harry's birthday
On 15th September, Prince Harry will celebrate his 42nd birthday. The royal only recently returned to the UK with wife Meghan Markle and their two children. But it's likely to be a quiet affair.
Given the Sussexes' decision to step down as working royals, and publicly air their many grievances, there will be no social media post celebrating the occasion on the royal family official channels. And it certainly won't be acknowledged on the Prince and Princess of Wales's social sites.
On the day itself, William will make a public appearance in Princetown, where he will launch a new regeneration scheme in the isolated rural community, which is located close to Dartmoor Prison. The Princetown Community Fund is due to release £250,000 into the local community to help with locally led social, economic and environmental projects.
During his visit, the heir to the throne will head to Gather & Moor, a new community and cultural hub for the area where he will meet representatives from heritage business Princetown Press.
William is also set to meet local residents at a youth club, which recently received money from the Duchy of Cornwall to improve their facilities.
Prince Harry prepares for first public outing
Harry is set to lead a series of charitable events this month, marking his first "public engagements" in the UK since his return. And his first event is taking place this week.
The duke will attend the first Invictus Spirit Awards on 17 September 2026 in London. The inaugural event will celebrate his Invictus Games Foundation and honour some of the individuals involved. Shortly after, Harry will travel to Birmingham for another Invictus-centered event, where he’ll be playing pickleball with fellow veterans and meet with 200 students.
© AFP via Getty ImagesThe upcoming WellChild Awards on 21 September will also be attended by Harry, who has been patron of the organisation since 2007.
Royal family tensions between Harry and King Charles
Ever since Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals and publicly took aim at the monarchy, they have essentially been estranged from the Firm.
It came as a huge surprise ,therefore, when the couple unexpectedly decided to return to the UK just last month, and set up home. Speculation about a royal reunion quickly resurfaced. But it's clear that tensions remain.
Just last week, a letter was sent at the direction of the King to military and government figures, reminding them that the Sussexes remain "private citizens" who did not represent the monarchy.
© Photo: Getty ImagesIn the "letter of guidance" to senior stakeholders, made public last Monday and sent on behalf of the monarch, the Lord Chamberlain stated there is "no change" to the Sussexes' status, and their Royal Highness titles should not be used.
The message also confirmed that the couple will operate separately from the Royal Household.
The letter was shared with the Duke and Duchess - but a spokesperson said the couple "were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance". But royal sources said they were made aware of the letter, before it was made public.
Just two days later, Uganda withdrew from the Duke’s Invictus Games two days later, blaming the “Harry and Meghan nonsense”.
The letter has been seen by many as something of a shot across the bows, making it clear that any visits the couple undertake should not be treated as royal engagements.
The Sussex 'circus' - and William and Kate's response
William, 44, and Harry, 41, are not thought to have had any contact for the past two years following bombshell comments made by the Duke in his Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, and in his memoir.
According to royal expert Robert Jobson, it comes down to the fact that the future King "wasn't prepared" to let the comments made by Harry about his wife slide.
© Andrew Parsons / Kensington PalaThe Prince of Wales "could take" comments being made about himself, but it was another story when it came to Princess Kate, claims Robert Jobson, author of The Windsor Legacy.
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry described Kate as "the sister I'd always wanted" – but later detailed moments of tension, especially after the Prince met his future wife, Meghan Markle, and they began dating in 2016.
When asked if William would ever be able to "forgive Harry" now that he's back on British soil, Robert told HELLO!: "I don't think that went down too well.
"I think he could take a lot of things being said about him, but he wasn't prepared to have things said about her when she's not in a position to answer back."
© Photo: Getty ImagesSpeaking about the Sussexes' shock move back, Robert added: "I think they're going to rise above all this. I don't think they're going to be involved in a tit-for-tat.
"I don't think that, because Harry and Meghan are here making a bit of noise, that's going to necessarily make them do anything.
"I think that they'll probably think, well, we've been down this road before; It creates a circus, and we're not going to get involved."
