LONDON – Princess Diana's brother, Earl Charles Spencer, is speaking about the rift between his nephews.
Prince William and Prince Harry, once the closest of brothers, remain largely estranged amid an ongoing royal fallout, heightened by Harry's 2020 decision to step back from his role within the family and relocate to the U.S. with his wife, Duchess Meghan.
In a Sept. 20 interview with the BBC, Spencer said he did not take sides in their dispute, despite the British tabloids implying he is in Harry's corner.
"I'm on my deceased sister's sons' side, both of them. And if either of them wanted anything then I'd be equally there for them," he said. "And I never get involved in one camp or the other, except as a benign figure I hope."
The earl told
the broadcaster that he believes there are a "lot of reasons on both sides" why the brothers' relationship had "got to this stage."
Spencer told the BBC that he hopes "one day" the drama between the brothers is "resolved" but added he did not know all the details of their fallout.
"I don't know all – I certainly don't know what's been done in the finer detail and so I would feel intrusive if I got more involved than to say of course a mother would want her two sons to be happy together and love each other," he said.
While the extent of Spencer's relationship with William is unclear, Harry appears close with his uncle, who hosted him, Meghan and their children Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, over the summer at Althorp House, where Diana is buried and the Spencer family estate.
In July, the duchess shared a string of photos, including one of the Sussex children carrying flowers to Diana's resting place. Last month, Harry moved back to Britain with his family after six years away from his home country.
Spencer's comments to the BBC came ahead of the release of his bombshell memoir, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," slated to release worldwide on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Earl Charles Spencer expresses concerns for Harry's safety
In his interview with the BBC, Spencer said he was concerned about Harry's current security setup. The Sussexes lost their taxpayer-funded security shortly after leaving the United Kingdom six years ago.
"I would say that I personally worry about the fifth-in-line to the throne who's served in the military not having any police protection," Spencer said, adding that he would "veer towards" protection for the family of four.
USA TODAY understands a security review is underway to reconsider the pair's police protection amid their return to Britain. Earlier this month, Harry and Meghan were forced to pull their children out of their new British school, citing security concerns.
The earl said his concerns stemmed from being "an uncle who's seen his sister die in very, very preventable circumstances." Diana died Aug. 31, 1997, after her car, driven by a man later determined to be intoxicated at the time, crashed in Paris during a paparazzi pursuit.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Princess Diana's brother reveals what she'd want for William and Harry amid rift
