Prince Harry and Prince William have a fascinating dynamic that’s filled with complexities, fury, and unwavering affection for one another.
Basically, it’s your standard brotherly dynamic, yet with royal obligations and the brutal public scrutiny of the British press blended into the mix. Add difficulties with each others’ respective spouses, accusations of racism, and a best-selling tell-all memoir into the feud, and things just tend to get a whole lot messier. (Not to mention, much less susceptible to ever being repaired.)
In fact, according to recent reports, the Prince of Wales sees no chance of reconciliation between the two brothers. The two allegedly haven’t been on speaking terms in years, and despite Harry’s plead to reconnect with his family, reports suggest William has no interest in making amends with his younger brother. “There is no turning back,” an inside source close to Prince William spilled to Us Weekly. “The door is firmly shut.” The inside source added, “Bridges have been burned on both sides.”
But what led to such irreparable damage in the first place? Let’s investigate.
What Caused Prince Harry and Prince William’s Rift?
The Duke of Sussex and Prince of Wales used to be quite close. Despite William taking after his father Charles, with a more studious personality type, while Harry adopted his mother’s elfin charm, both boys were able to find a middle ground together and connect on a profound level. When their mother, Princess Diana, tragically died in 1997 after a fatal car accident, the devastating incident brought the two boys closer together than ever before. The brothers turned to each other as an emotional support system, and were able to be each other’s rocks during their turbulent upbringing in the public eye.
But despite all the affection and care within their brotherhood, Harry admitted in his 2023 tell-all memoir, “Spare,” that Prince William was always his “beloved brother and arch nemesis.” Ouch! One might wonder what would ignite such harsh words, yet Harry admits the two of them were always super competitive while growing up. Much of this had to do with the line of succession, where William was the Heir, while Harry was the Spare. Understandably, these titles created an unhealthy dynamic between the two, especially after learning of these titles at such a young age.
Harry elaborated in his tell-all memoir, explaining, “The Heir and the Spare — there was no judgment about it, but also no ambiguity,” the Duke of Sussex wrote. “I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B.” He continued, writing, “I was summoned to provide backup, distraction, diversion and, if necessary, a spare part,” he continued. “Kidney, perhaps. Blood transfusion. Speck of bone marrow. This was all made explicitly clear to me from the start of life’s journey and regularly reinforced thereafter.”
The Relationship Between The Duke of Sussex and Prince of Wales Is Irreparable For Now
Much more damage throughout the past handful of years has drawn the brothers further and further apart. Spats involving Meghan Markle, for instance, caused such a rift between the two brothers that it led to a physical fight which caused Harry to be covered in bruises and cuts. It all started when Prince William visited Prince Harry to tell him that Meghan was being “rude,” “difficult,” and “abrasive.” Of course, this led to a lot of friction between the two brothers, yet it ended in violence when in a bout of fury, William allegedly hurled himself at Harry.
“He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor,” Harry wrote of William’s attack in “Spare.” “I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”
Despite the rift, Prince Harry insists he’s gone great lengths to try and repair the bond with his brother and the rest of his family. He said in a sit down interview with ABC News, “What people don’t know is the efforts I’ve gone to resolve this, privately. Both with my brother and my father. Constantly, for the last six years.”
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