The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have spent the last four years living in America since quitting life as senior royals in 2020.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry need to apologise, a royal expert has said (Image: GETTY )

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have had a busy few years since quitting life as senior royals in 2020, with some of the decisions they have made since then reportedly resulting in rifts with a few of their closest family members.

While the Duke of Sussex is now believed to be on speaking terms with his father King Charles, he is reportedly no longer in contact with his brother Prince William after hurling accusations against him in his 2023 memoir Spare.

It is also believed Meghan Markle is not on speaking terms with Prince William or his wife Princess Kate, especially after the bridesmaid dress saga where Harry claimed the Princess of Wales made Meghan cry before the couple’s 2018 wedding.

As well as his bombshell memoir, other decisions made by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – who now live in America – have further heightened the conflict between the couples, including their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.

While the Duke and Duchess may one day want to return to the UK or attend Royal occasions, this is unlikely to happen unless the rift between the two once-close brothers is resolved.

Royal expert Richard Eden believes that in order to do this, both Harry and Meghan must step forward and apologise.

He said on the Palace Confidential podcast: “I’ve been speaking to people about the chances of a reconciliation between the brothers.

“But everyone really has made the same points that it won’t happen until Harry and Meghan really apologise for everything they have said.

“They need to apologise, at least privately, but also how can there be that reconciliation when William and Catherine just don’t know what will later appear in a TV programme or in a book?

The couples are no longer on talking terms (Image: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

“Genuinely, once you’ve lost that trust you’ve kind of lost it forever.”

Prince Harry and Prince William have been reunited a few times since the release of Spare last year. However, the brothers are believed to have not spoken, including at the King’s Coronation last year.

This summer, both princes attended a family funeral for a Spencer relative, but they are believed to have kept their distance from one another.