National Portrait Gallery addresses claims Kate Middleton had portrait of Prince Harry, Prince William removed

London's National Portrait Gallery will reopen to the public later this month without the portrait of Prince William and Prince Harry on display amid claims that Kate Middleton had it removed amid the brothers' feud.

Nicky Phillipps made the painting during the happier days in 2010 when the siblings were still close and working hand-in-hand for the royal family. Prince William still had a full head of hair, and his younger brother had that youthful glow.

The portrait paints a charming picture with the siblings hanging around by the doorway with white gloves in hand. They are formally dressed but informally posed.

But it would not be mounted when the museum re-opens following a multi-million dollar renovation in 2020, and its omission led to claims that Kate Middleton had it removed. She allegedly used her position of power as one of the royal patrons in the curatorial decision.

While there is no evidence that the future queen had a hand in its removal, British journalist Valentine Low added fuel to the assumption in his column for The Times. The author of the 2023 book "Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition, and the Power Players Behind the House of Windsor," said the painting "has particular resonance for the gallery's patron, the Princess of Wales" and that it "might be regarded as a painful reminder of the rift at the heart of the royal family."

But London's National Portrait Gallery clarified that the said portrait has been off the wall for years. It has not been on display since August 2018 and like the other paintings in the museum, it is routinely mounted and unmounted. It can only "display a small percentage within" its building with over 250,000 portraits in its collection.

"We regularly lend and tour our works, both nationally and internationally," a spokesperson said in a statement sent to Artnet News adding that Prince Harry and Prince William's portrait was among those included in a "touring exhibition" called the "Tudors to Windsors" which travelled between 2018 and 2021.

The gallery will reportedly use new spaces afforded by the renovation to "diversify" its displays with plans to show more contemporary works that depict or are created by artists from minority backgrounds.

Phillipps remembered the original plan was to paint the brothers at Clarence House. But the lighting at her home was better so she invited them over. Reflecting on the experience, she said the siblings "were so sweet" and "were so close."

But those were the days. Now Prince Harry and Prince William are no longer on friendly terms. The Duke of Sussex revealed in January during a promotional interview for his memoir "Spare" that they are no longer on speaking terms.

The feud allegedly stemmed from his and his wife Meghan Markle's departure from their royal duties in 2020 and their subsequent interviews about their former royal life which many perceive as an "attack" on the royals. This includes their explosive chat with Oprah Winfrey in March shortly after they left their duties and moved to California, and their "Harry & Meghan" Netflix docuseries released in December 2022.

The last time the public saw the brothers briefly interact with each other was during the walkabout outside Windsor Castle on Sept. 10, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. But they were very civil.

Prince Harry returned to the U.K. on May 6 for the coronation ceremony of King Charles III at Westminister Abbey. But still, relations remained frosty and it is unclear if the duke had a chance to meet his brother and father privately ahead of the ceremony. But in "Spare," Prince Harry shared that he and Prince William were never as close as the press made them out to be.