Prince Harry and Prince William remain worlds apart | Royal | News

While the Prince of Wales championed the “crucial” role of music and the importance of learning a musical instrument, his estranged brother was in a different city visiting a recording studio. The chasm between the two siblings, who conducted engagements just eight miles apart on Monday, remains wide.

While the Duke of Sussex remains hopeful that he will meet the King this week, chances of a sibling reunion are a long way off. On Tuesday, William spoke fondly about his three children’s musical talents as he visited Symphony Studios, a music lessons provider based in the grounds of a former south London school.

It is also home to youth charity Spiral Skills, which has expanded its services in the community hub thanks to a grant from William’s Homewards Fund.

The fund is aimed at supporting the delivery of work in the six flagship areas of William’s ambitious Homewards project that aims to create a blueprint over five years for ending homelessness.

While touring the music studio, the future King turned down the opportunity to play the drums on a visit to a music charity, saying his son Prince Louis, who is currently learning the instrument, would have done if he had been there.

He later told students that Princess Charlotte, 10, is following in her mother’s footsteps and learning the piano, while Prince George, 12, plays the guitar. But William confessed his musical aspirations came to an end when he was younger because he could not get to grips with reading music.

Homewards provided an undisclosed sum to enable Spiral Skills to refurbish areas of the former school – now a multi-agency hub – and expand their services to reach more young people.

Meanwhile, the Duke of Sussex announced a personal £1.1m donation to help tackle youth violence in the city.

Harry unveiled the gift, which has come from his own money rather than his Archewell Foundation, during a visit to the Community Recording Studio (CRS) in Nottingham on Tuesday.

He was met by cheers from a small throng of around 150 people as he arrived at the St Ann’s area of the city with which he has developed a close rapport over more than a decade.

The Duke first visited the organisation in 2013 and was deeply inspired by the teenagers involved and their mentors. He has since returned on multiple occasions, both privately and on official royal engagements, most recently in 2019 – just over a month before he quit as senior working royal.

Upon arrival, he showcased his trademark humour as he pretended to tie a shoelace for CRS chief executive, Trevor Rose.

Inside, he was ushered into a small recording studio and danced to the music as young rap artists performed in a booth. He said rapper Paige, 24, gave him goosebumps, but declined an offer to go into the recording booth himself.

Harry then caught up with some of the young people he had met previously and toured the facilities before watching a series of performances.

The Duke became particularly animated when he met a group of mentors who had managed to escape a life of crime and violence and were now using their experiences to help others.

“That’s the most important thing,” he told them. “I’m really proud of you, especially those who give so much time.”

Despite giving up his role as a working royal and no longer living in the UK, the prince vowed on Tuesday that he would maintain his links with the city.

“I’ll continue to stand with you,” he said. “Nottingham has my respect, it always has, my commitment, and a permanent place in my heart.”

The Duke said the Midlands city had taught him “important lessons” and had “truly” inspired him. “I’ve lost count of the number of visits I’ve made here, and the amount of jerk chicken I’ve eaten on almost every occasion on the way back,” he said to much laughter. “It really is banging.”.

He added: ”For nearly 15 years I’ve been working alongside communities to tackle violence impacting young people – particularly knife crime, which remains one of the most urgent issues facing this country. During all that time, Nottingham has been a place where I’ve heard harrowing stories, learned important lessons, seen resilience, and felt truly inspired.”

The Duke said he had made a “significant investment into the community” – £1.1 million – to BBC Children in Need in December. A large proportion is expected to go to CRS, with the rest distributed to other local causes that support young people impacted by violence.

Harry posed for selfies with fans and waved at the crowd at the end of his visit, and hugged the charity’s organisers.

Tomorrow, he has a number of scheduled engagements with charities close to his heart, including a visit to the Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London.

Wednesday has also been mooted as the most likely day for a meeting between father and son, with the King back in London for his weekly cancer treatment and Harry having a three-hour window between engagements.

But sources didn’t appear optimistic that the Palace would be making time in the diary for their first meeting in 19months.

The official message from both monarchy HQ and the Sussexes remains no comment, as neither side is willing to fuel the feverish speculation about whether father and son will meet.

One thing is clear, though: there will be no reunion for the King’s sons. Once close, William and Harry are understood not to have spoken for several years, as both of them are a long way off from forgiving and forgetting.

As the heir, William is focused on his myriad of responsibilities alongside maintaining a happy family life at home, especially following his wife’s cancer diagnosis.

But the King, who sources frequently describe as a “forgiving and loving father” may decide that the time is right to fix his relationship with his youngest son if he believes he can trust Harry to betray his confidence.