Deputy Private Secretary Theo Rycroft tasked with reconciling Prince William and Prince Harry

Former diplomat Theo Rycroft, appointed deputy private secretary to King Charles in February 2026, says his number‑one mission is to heal the rift between Princes William and Harry. Rycroft, an Oxford‑educated lawyer with a career at the Foreign Office since 2005—including roles as legal adviser to the prime minister, head of international law at the Attorney General’s Office and deputy head of mission in Paris—has close ties to William from joint diplomatic engagements such as the Notre‑Dame reopening and a recent US trip with Donald Trump.

The brothers have not spoken since Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in 2022, and tensions escalated after Harry’s memoir "Spare" and his Oprah Winfrey interview, prompting William to reportedly bar any mention of Harry in his presence. Rycroft hopes to arrange a meeting, possibly when Harry travels from California for the Invictus Games in Birmingham in July, although the visit depends on Home Office approval of police protection for Harry’s family.