Why Harry supposedly stopped spending time with nephew Prince Louis

The alleged "feud" between Prince William and Prince Harry has been affecting their relationship for years, according to royal experts.

But the divide between the brothers has reportedly also impacted Harry's relationship with William and Kate Middleton's children, especially Prince Louis.

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Harry has long been viewed as a doting uncle, and enjoyed spending time with his nephews and niece while living near the Cambridges at Kensington Palace.

During their early years, Harry formed affectionate bonds with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, but by the time Louis was born his relationship with William had grown tense.

"The brothers went from always making time for each other to barely spending any time together," Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand write in their book Finding Freedom.

According to them, Harry's regular visits to the Cambridge's home in Apartment 1A grew less and less frequent in the lead up to Louis' birth.

"Those visits came to a halt by that summer of 2017," Scobie and Durand claim, adding that "the distance came in both directions".

According to the book: "Harry spent less time with Prince Louis than the others because of the growing tension between him and his brother after the baby's birth.

"But the invites from William and Kate were the first to dry up."

The timing coincides with Harry going public with his relationship with Meghan Markle and introducing her to his royal family, which many royal experts have cited as the start of the brothers' rift.

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In Finding Freedom, Scobie and Durand make several claims about events that caused tension between the princes, including comments from William about "this girl" – Meghan.

However, the pair have been criticised for allegedly presenting a "pro-Meghan" narrative that some fans claim "demonises" the royal family.

Scobie has addressed the rumours, defending his relationship with the couple — which he has admitted is limited — and responding to claims he's working as their "mouthpiece".

"Mouthpiece, cheerleader, unofficial spokesperson, not a journalist, I've heard them all," Scobie told Town and Country Magazine.

"I think the problem is I'm on a side of history that many others don't want to be a part of, and it's rubbed people the wrong way, much as the Sussexes have."

He also said of the Sussexes in a previous interview: "We are in no way friends… There is always that line between the journalist and the member of the royal family."

Other critics have suggested that Meghan and Harry themselves had a hand in producing the book, though the couple have vehemently denied any involvement.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom," a spokesman for the Sussexes said in a statement, via the BBC.

Since their official exit from the monarchy in March 2020, there have been claims that Harry's relationship with William has been improving.

The brothers have supposedly been keeping in contact with regular phone calls.