News | Mail Online
· collected 2026-09-06 · by Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain
analysis
Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, a Jewish rabbi, shares his thoughts on whether Prince William should make peace with Harry after their four-year estrangement. He personally believes in reconciliation, citing biblical principles such as turning the other cheek and welcoming back a prodigal family member. However, he notes that some wounds may be irreparable, drawing from his own experience of an 8-year estrangement from one of his brothers, where they have no intention of speaking or meeting again. The rabbi's commentary is based on the public knowledge of William and Harry's situation, noting their last public appearance together was at Charles's Coronation in May 2023.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
I never thought I would presume to say that I know how the Prince of Wales feels – but sadly I can now do so.
asserted
I → think → Wales
Should he twist or stick, reach out to Harry on his return to England or shun him?
Should he act like a wiser big brother or decide that relations have deteriorated too far for that?
asserted
relations → twist → that
Every fibre in my body screams out, go for a reconciliation, see if it is possible.
asserted
it → scream → reconciliation
Isn't that what family means?
asserted
family → mean → what
Doesn't the New Testament tell him as a future Supreme Governor of the Church of England to turn the other cheek?
asserted
Testament → tell → cheek
Certainly, the tale of the prodigal son has the message of welcoming a renegade member of the family back into the fold.
asserted
tale → have → fold
And yet my drive for a happy family reunion is brought to a screeching halt when I think of one of my own brothers.
asserted
I → bring → brothers
We have not spoken for eight years and have no intention of doing so.
asserted
We → speak → intention
I don't even know where he lives.
asserted
he → know → ?
In fact, I am ashamed of admitting this as everything above indicates that we should meet and reconcile.
asserted
we → admit → this
But sometimes theory and reality clash, and they certainly do in our case.
asserted
they → clash → case
The added sadness is that, like William and Harry, we were once very close.
asserted
we → add → William
Prince William and Harry are understood not to have spoken for the best part of four years, and were last seen together in public at Charles's Coronation in May 2023
There is a 13-year gap between us, and my mother often said I was like a second father to him, changing his nappies as a baby, taking him in the pram to the local playground, spending time with him as he grew up.
It is hard to pinpoint the moments when the relationship soured and the bond snapped.
uncertain
bond → understand → moments
I left home for university and saw much less of him.
asserted
I → leave → him
When I did return home, we squabbled.
asserted
we → return → ?
Somehow it turned to distrust and dislike.
asserted
it → turn → distrust
When he was an adult, we also had very different views as to how to look after our ageing parents.
asserted
we → have → parents
One result was that when he lived in the family home, he limited access to my mother, initially at my expense and later my children's.
asserted
he → live → expense
He would say that she was too unwell to see them, which I found unlikely as she adored her grandchildren.
asserted
she → say → grandchildren
It ended with a complete blackout of all news about her – including her decline, so much so that we were not informed of her death by him or even the funeral.
asserted
we → end → him
Hurtful, especially to my children who should not have suffered because of whatever went wrong between he and I.
Did I try to improve the relationship earlier?
asserted
I → suffer → relationship
Yes, although looking back I cannot be sure if I tried as hard as I could have done.
uncertain
I → look → ?
I do take part of the blame for the fall-out, but definitely not all of it.
asserted
I → take → it
I also know that we are not alone in our fraternal enmity.
asserted
we → know → enmity
Harry, Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet have recently returned to Britain - but relations between the brothers are complicated
It is surely significant that the very first example of brothers in the Bible – Cain and Abel – is not a story of lovey-dovey harmony with violins in the background.
asserted
example → return → background
Instead, it is a tale of a dysfunctional relationship, of jealousy and anger that gets so out of control that it results in one murdering the other.
asserted
one → get → other
Most, thankfully, only feature stubbornness, pride or a sense of betrayal – just ask the Gallagher brothers, who admirably completed their Oasis tour last year after a decade of bubbling animosity, or Brooklyn Beckham, who has severed ties with his family so publicly on social media.
asserted
who → feature → media
'Just pick up the phone and make up,' I hear you cry in exasperation.
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you → pick → exasperation
For a start, there is a feeling that this is not my task but the other person's.
asserted
this → be → start
He offended me, so he should take the first step!
asserted
he → offend → step
Yes, it might be healthy to reconcile, but pride means I will respond but not initiate.
uncertain
I → reconcile → ?
The trouble is that when both parties feel that way, the impasse continues.
asserted
impasse → feel → ?
It is awkward to say, 'Hello, it's me' after so long not speaking and plenty of blue air when we did.
asserted
we → say → air
I know the best way would be to write down a couple of lines so as not to blurt out something mangled, but that still begs two questions about how the other person might respond.
uncertain
person → know → questions
The Waleses and the Sussexes are not thought to have communicated for some time
What if he spurns the effort, repeats past insults and slams the phone down? Do I really want to expose myself to that rejection?
Alternatively, what if he accepts, and warmly welcomes the rapprochement?
asserted
he → think → rapprochement
That is wonderful in many ways, but it does come at a cost of having to let go of my own resentments at past hurts and wipe the slate clean.
asserted
it → come → slate
It is much cosier being wrapped in a blanket of anger and victimhood.
asserted
It → wrap → anger
It also saves me having to ask where I might have gone wrong.
uncertain
I → save → me
This is why I do not advise Prince William to offer the hand of peace to his brother.
asserted
I → advise → brother
Sometimes a wound is best left untouched.
asserted
wound → leave → ?
…and 13 more, not listed.
