Skip to main content

Since Meghan Markle first entered Prince Harry‘s life, rumors painted her as the central figure in the relationship breakdown between him and his brother Prince William. However, a video shared on a popular social media site appears to indicate the siblings have struggled in their relationship for quite some time.

Prince Harry and Prince William watch a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018 in London, England.
Prince Harry and Prince William watch a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018, in London, England | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

In a video to honor Queen Elizabeth, it appears there were cracks in the relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry

Prince Harry and Prince William paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth in 2016 in honor of her 90th birthday. The British television show was called Elizabeth at 90: A Family Tribute.

The documentary was narrated by Elizabeth’s eldest son, Charles, and produced by the BBC. It relied heavily on personal footage of the royal family that had never been seen publicly before.

The film featured contributions from Queen Elizabeth, Charles, Princess Anne, William, Harry, Lady Sarah Chatto, Prince Edward, Princess Alexandra, Margaret Rhodes, and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

Within their commentary, which has gone viral on TikTok, William and Harry appeared in archival family videos alongside their mother, the late Princess Diana, at Harry’s 1984 christening. Watching the clips, the brothers discussed their past.

Harry asked William: “Do you remember your little brother being born?” William responded, “Not really. I must have been two.”

William then teased Harry regarding his christening gown: “It’s hard to tell whether you’re a boy or a girl in that dress.” Harry’s response? “Thank you. I think that normally happens at that stage of your life; you don’t really have much of a decision over what you’re wearing.”

It was then that the banter between the brothers appeared to shift. Harry told William, “Look how excited you are. You’ve got a younger brother. That’s fantastic.” William deadpanned, “Didn’t last long, did it.”

Therefore, some viewers claim that the video and William’s commentary show that the brothers’ relationship wasn’t that close before Meghan Markle entered the royal orbit in 2016.

Prince Harry suggests his relationship with Prince William has been estranged for years

Prince Harry and Prince William attend the unveiling of a statue of their mother, Princess Diana at The Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace, London on July 1, 2021, which would have been her 60th birthday.
Prince Harry and Prince William attend the unveiling of a statue of their mother, Princess Diana, at The Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace, London, on July 1, 2021, which would have been her 60th birthday | Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images

The exchange between Prince Harry and Prince William during the Elizabeth at 90: A Family Tribute clip could have been perceived as just banter between siblings. Harry’s suggestion William was not entirely happy with their relationship for some time was detailed in Harry’s autobiography, Spare.

Although the brothers put on a united front for the public, matters reportedly were different behind closed doors. Harry shared his version of events when he began school at Eton, where William was already a student.

Harry told Anderson Cooper, in a 60 Minutes interview to promote Spare, that William told him to pretend they didn’t know each other when they attended school together. “I couldn’t make sense of it.”

He continued, “I was like, ‘What do you mean? We’re now at the same school. Like, I haven’t seen you for ages. Now we get to hang out together,'” Harry said. “He’s like, ‘No, no, no, when we’re at school, we don’t know each other.’ And I took that personally.”

He also told Oprah Winfrey, “As I’ve said before, I love William to bits. He’s my brother. We’ve been through hell together. I mean, we have a shared experience. But we’re on different paths.”

Prince Harry how Prince William reacted when he decided to leave the royal family

Related

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Divorce Rumors: ‘Where There Is Smoke, There Is Fire’ Says Royal Insider Lady Colin Campbell

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s decision to step back from their roles as senior royals in 2020 reportedly upset many within the palace. Harry shared his version of the events which transpired in the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan.

In a taped interview, Harry spoke of a meeting between himself, Prince William, their father then-Prince Charles, and their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. They tried to determine how Harry and Meghan could live independently while remaining of service to the Queen.

“It became very clear very quickly that that goal was not up for discussion or debate,” said Harry. “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me. And my father say things that simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in.”

Harry’s assessment of the meeting was that as the spare in the royal family to William, their strained dynamic would continue. However, while he understood the family’s reaction, the sting regarding their relationship remained.

 “The saddest part of it was this wedge created between myself and my brother. So that he’s now on the institution’s side,” Harry continued. “Part of that I get, I understand, right? That’s his inheritance. So to some extent, it’s already ingrained in him that part of his responsibility is the survivability and continuation of this institution.”

Prince Harry and Prince William reportedly remain estranged. The brothers last appeared publicly at the same event at their father, King Charles II’s coronation, in May 2023.

Best in Entertainment