Prince William 'didn't speak to Harry for two months' following decision to step back from royal family, says Finding Freedom author

Duke of Cambridge felt Sussexes public announcement ‘damaged the reputation of the family’, claims author

The Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge did not speak for two months after the Sandringham summit sparked by Megxit, a royal writer has claimed.

Finding Freedom, the new biography which chronicles the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s relationship, has made many claims about the couple, from the meaning behind their pet dog's name to speculation surrounding an ongoing “feud” with the Cambridges.

A spokesperson for the duke and duchess stated that the couple had no involvement in the writing of the book, outlining that the publication “is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting”.

Now, co-author and royal correspondent, Omid Scobie, has discussed the “widening” distance between brothers William and Harry, claiming that they “completely” stopped talking for months.

During an interview for True Royalty TV, Scobie said tension grew following the Sussexes online announcement that they were stepping down as senior members of the royal family.

The bombshell announcement in January triggered a crisis at the palace, forcing the Queen to call the unprecedented “Sandringham Summit” at her Norfolk home so that the situation could be sorted out.

William was allegedly unhappy with his younger brother for “damaging the Royal Family’s reputation” and was not speaking to Harry around the time that the family met at Sandringham to discuss details of their exit.

“Where it really went wrong for Harry and Meghan and the Cambridges was that decision to go public with the roadmap to their new working model, the statements that weren't discussed internally,” Scobie said.

“That's really what caused the most amount of hurt to William because he wears two hats.

Omid Scobie claims the brothers did not speak for two months (Getty)

“He's not just the brother. He's also a future king and he felt that that damaged the reputation of the family, that it put family business out in the public domain when it should have been discussed privately. And there was a lot of hurt there that continues to this day.”

Before the announcement, there were already reports of a disagreement between the Cambridges and the Sussexes, but according to Scobie the distance between them “grew wider and wider”.

Harry and Meghan’s final public royal engagement was the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March, where Kate was accused in the book of barely acknowledging her sister-in-law.

“It's why we saw such an awkward moment at that Commonwealth service,” Scobie added.

Harry and Meghan’s final public royal engagement was the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March (Getty)

“The brothers had not spoken since around the time of the Sandringham summit. They hadn't seen each other. And, you know, that's really going to take some time to heal.”

Scobie also suggested that Harry, who has outlined his personal commitment to tackling institutional racism, will at some point address his own past mistakes.

The author said: “He's on a journey at the moment and I do think that at some point we'll hear him really talk about that journey and what he's learnt on that.

“But I think at the moment ... he's still educating himself. Maybe he feels he's not there yet.”

Scobie described Harry and Meghan's new £11 million home in Santa Barbara, California, as “pretty much their forever home”.

Kensington Palace has declined to comment.

The Independent has contacted a representative for the Sussexes for comment.