Prince William and Prince Harry have taken the unusual step of releasing a joint statement in which they denied reports that Prince Harry has been bullied out of the Royal Family.
Prince Harry and his wife, Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, announced their decision to 'step back' from their royal duties last week.
Prince Harry and Prince William's statement was released this morning by Buckingham Palace, hours before senior royals were due to have talks at the Queen's residence in Sandringham to address the fallout from the recent developments.
It reads: "Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a UK newspaper today speculating about the relationship between The Duke of Sussex and The Duke of Cambridge.
"For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful."
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In an article published by The Times, William is reported to have said: "I've put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can't do that any more; we're separate entities.
"I'm sad about that. All we can do, and all I can do, is try and support them and hope the time comes when we're all singing from the same page. I want everyone to play on the same team."
The meeting today at Sandringham will be the first time Harry has seen his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and his brother the Duke of Cambridge since he and Meghan announced their decision to become 'financially independent' last week.
On their joint Instagram account, Harry and Meghan said: "After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution.
"We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.
"It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment."
The statement continued: "We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.
"This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.
"We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support."
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