Prince Harry’s ‘Worst Fear’ Came True With Prince William
Prince William and Prince Harry’s relationship as brothers is long over. The Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex have been estranged for years. During the breakdown of their relationship in the years leading up to Harry’s relocation stateside, the 40-year-old realized his “worst fear” had come true with William.
Harry realized his ‘worst fear’ had come true after an emotional speech in 2019
In his 2023 Spare memoir, Harry recounted the moment he realized his “worst fear” had come true with his brother, “Willy.” It all started when the royal got emotional during a speech at the WellChild Awards in October 2019, five months after he and Meghan Markle welcomed their now-5-year-old son, Prince Archie.
“I walked onstage, began my brief remarks, and caught sight of Meg’s face,” Harry wrote in his book. “I thought back to a year ago, when she and I attended this event just weeks after taking that home pregnancy test.”
“We’d been filled with hope, and worry, like all expectant parents. And now we had a healthy little boy at home,” Harry went on. “But these parents and children hadn’t been so lucky. Gratitude and sympathy converged in my heart, and I choked up.”
As he stood “unable to get the words out” the presenter, who’d been a friend of his mother Princess Diana’s, touched his shoulder. Meanwhile, the crowd clapped.
Harry realized he’d become a ‘stranger’ to William during a three-day argument
Harry continued, sharing how a three-day argument ensued between him and William after he got emotional at the awards ceremony. “Soon after, I got a text from Willy. He was in Pakistan on tour. He said I was clearly struggling, and he was worried about me.”
The now-42-year-old future king thought Harry was “unwell” which the duke took to mean “unwise.” Quickly, their conversation “turned into an argument, which stretched over seventy-two hours.”
“Back and forth we went, all day, late into the night—we’d never had a fight like that over text before,” Harry wrote noting that he soon realized his “worst fear” had come true.
It was like he and William “were speaking different languages,” which is where Harry’s “worst fear” came in. “I realized that my worst fear was coming true,” he recalled. “After months of therapy, after working hard to become more aware, more independent, I was a stranger to my older brother. He could no longer relate to me—tolerate me.”
“Or maybe it was just the stress of the last few years, the last few decades, finally pouring out,” he added. Harry added he “saved the texts” and even rereads them occasionally asking himself, “How did we ever get here?”
Harry and William last saw each other in 2024
Due to their years-long feud, it’s rare for Harry and William to be in the same room. But it does happen occasionally. The last time the estranged brothers were at the same event—in person—happened in August 2024.
William and Harry attended a private memorial service for a Spencer family relative in Norfolk, England. The U.K.’s Sun reported William and Harry “kept their distance” at the service. Nor were they seen speaking to each other (via BBC).
Their appearances in recent years have been kept to major royal family occasions. There was King Charles III’s coronation in May 2023, Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022, and the Diana Award ceremony in December 2024, which they marked separately.
