Prince William asking Prince Harry for help amid Kate Middleton’s health crisis?

As Prince William copes with the burden of Princess Kate's unexpected cancer diagnosis, he is reported to have a strong need for his younger brother.

The future king is currently facing immense pressure as he assists his wife, Kate, in her recovery journey, all the while striving to shield their three young children – Prince George, aged 10, Princess Charlotte, aged eight, and Prince Louis, aged five.

Now a Royal expert has shared that William 'desperately needs' Prince Harry, however, it's clear that the relationship between the once 'very, very close-knit' pair is still far from comfortable, with a 'tense' 22-word statement suggesting the rift will take some time to heal.

According to TalkTV royal editor Sarah Hewson, tensions between the siblings are unlikely to thaw anytime soon, with William now in full 'protection mode' when it comes to shielding his young family'.

Speaking on Times Radio, Ms Hewson said that she believed Harry and Meghan had since reached out to Princess Kate privately. However, she also noted that Harry had said some 'pretty cruel things' about the mother-of-three, both in his explosive memoir Spare, and his Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, meaning reconciliation won't be easy.

Ms Hewson added: "You can only think how desperately William would need his brother right now as a support and that relationship just isn't there."

With Harry expected to visit the UK in May to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, many Royal watchers wondered whether this presented an ideal opportunity for the two brothers to make amends. However, royal expert and author Tom Quinn also told the Mirror that any potential meeting between William and Harry is likely to be kept 'very brief'.

He explained: "Given Kate's cancer diagnosis, Harry will certainly make efforts to see his brother and Kate when he returns to the UK in May – if it happens at all it's to be a very brief carefully choreographed meeting and organised to last a short time so that the brothers can avoid any difficult conversations. At the same time Harry knows how it will look if he comes back to the UK and doesn't see his brother and Kate. It's going to be a very awkward time."

This follows a very difficult period for the Royal family, with King Charles III and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York having been diagnosed with cancer this year.