Prince Harry was initially open to conversation with Prince William, but his mood quickly soured over fears their discussion would be leaked.

Prince Harry had a blunt two-word response to Prince William’s request for a meeting which could have nipped the royal feud in the bud, according to a royal author.

The brothers were once close but are now no longer on speaking terms, with their relationship deteriorating dramatically since Harry’s departure from the Firm in 2020.

Back in 2019 Harry and Meghan Markle were on a tour of southern Africa when their struggles with royal life became apparent, as he told ITV’s Tom Bradby that the couple had “good days and bad days”.

According to Valentine Low, author of Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, William reached out to his brother once the interview aired and while Harry was initially open to talk, he soon changed his mind when he responded with two words: “Don’t come.”

Mr Low wrote: “The day after the documentary aired, William WhatsApped his brother to ask if he could come and see him. Initially, Harry was in favour. Then he spoke to his brother again and asked him whom he would tell.

Prince Harry and Prince William almost met up to discuss the Tom Bradby interview (Image: Getty)

“William explained that he’d have to clear his schedule, which would mean telling his private secretary. At that point, Harry told him: Don’t come.

“He was so concerned that William’s team would leak the visit to the press that he would rather not see his brother than risk it getting into the papers.”

Harry’s dislike of the press has led him to become even more distanced from his family, as he accused Queen Camilla in his memoir Spare of leaking information to paint herself in a more positive light.

Harry and Meghan’s visit to South Africa revealed that cracks were beginning to show (Image: Getty)

Royal photographer Arthur Edwards also told The Sun how Harry and Meghan’s wedding was the “worst” one he had covered during his decades-long career due to his hostile feelings towards the media.

He explained: “It was the worst royal wedding I ever did because Harry was determined to keep the newspapers away from it as much as possible.

“Everything was done on long lenses…the photographers they engaged for the job were five feet away, it was hopeless. And then the carriage shot when they went past me in the carriage they looked the other way.”

Harry wanted the press away from his wedding day (Image: Getty)

Mr Edwards added that he thought the press were “made to feel unwelcome”, saying: “It wasn’t just me, it was the whole of the British press.

“They were in many ways badly treated. I think Harry was angry because of some of the things that had been said about Meghan, and quite rightly – some of the things that were said about Meghan during the engagement were pretty harsh.”

The Duke and Duchess remained working royals for less than two years before they announced their intentions to step down in early 2020, and they have since settled in Montecito, California with their two children.