A source tells ET that the brothers' relationship 'remains strained,' but they are 'both dedicated to carrying on Diana’s legacy.'
Prince William and Prince Harry are expected to remember their mother, Princess Diana, privately on Wednesday, marking the 25th anniversary of her tragic and untimely death.
A source tells ET that the relationship between the brothers "remains strained," but they are "both dedicated to carrying on Diana's legacy." The source adds that both William and Harry are committed to making sure their mother's humanitarian work is recognized and they both make sure their children are reminded of their grandmother's memory.
Many tributes in memory of the late Diana began popping up on Wednesday, including in front of Kensington Palace in central London, outside her former London home, and above the Paris tunnel where a car accident took her life.
Earlier this month, biographer James Patterson spoke with ET about the release of his new book about the royals, Diana, William, & Harry, and mused on what the late Diana might think of her sons' rift today.
"I think she would be saddened by the break with the two boys," Patterson told ET. "I think that would really make her sad because they had been so very close as kids, and then... Will obviously deciding [that he] must stay with tradition and the crown and the royals, and then Harry making the break."
Even with the brothers' opposing views, Patterson guessed that Diana, who got divorced from Prince Charles in 1996, "would've respected both sides."
"I don't think she looked at the tradition of the royal family and said it's a bad thing. Just the way it operated with her, I think it just didn't fit her at all. It was very difficult. She's a free spirit. That's very, very tough," he said. "I think she would've been very sympathetic, totally sympathetic, for what Harry did, but I think she would've understood Will's path as well. She was that kind of person. She wasn't terribly judgmental."
As for if William and Harry will mend their relationship, Patterson said he "would be surprised if they didn't at some point get close again."
In recent years, Harry has relocated to Montecito, California, where he is raising son Archie Harrison, 3, and daughter Lilibet Diana, 1, with wife Meghan Markle.
Meanwhile, William and his wife, Kate Middleton, are saying goodbye to their home at Kensington Palace, and moving to a new residence 30 miles away in the county of Berkshire -- where Windsor Castle, one of Queen Elizabeth II's homes -- is located.
Their children -- Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7 and Prince Louis, 4 -- will attend the prestigious Lambrook School nearby.
Harry recently paid tribute to Diana at the U.N. General Assembly, where he gave an inspiring speech on Nelson Mandela Day. Harry became reflective as he mentioned a photograph of his mother and Nelson Mandela that was given to him by the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu during his and Meghan’s royal tour of Africa in 2019.
“When I first looked at the photo, straight away what jumped out was the joy on my mother’s face. The playfulness, cheekiness even,” he said about the picture of Diana and Mandela taken in 1997. “The pure delight to be in communion with another soul so committed to serving humanity.”
The duke spoke about Mandela’s home continent of Africa, and the important place it holds in his personal and professional life.
“Since I first visited Africa at 13 years old I always found hope on the continent,” the 37-year-old said. “In fact, for most of my life, it has been my lifeline. A place where I found peace and healing time and time again. It’s where I felt closest to my mother and sought solace after she died."
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