After hearing rumors that Prince William and Prince Harry are feuding, the evidence keeps piling up that these royal brothers aren't on good terms, and it's hard to say when they'll finally mend their relationship — if they are ever able to do so. Between Harry's marriage to Meghan Markle and the way everything played out with the couple deciding to step down from their positions as senior royals and move to the US last year, a lot has happened to come between him and William. Now that they're living on different continents, when will that ever change?
Last month, royal expert Robert Lacey's book about William and Harry's strained relationship, Battle of Brothers, was released, and there have been a number of revelations from the book. Of course, the palace hasn't confirmed the contents of the book, but if these details are true, it gives us a lot of insight into what might have been going on behind the palace doors … and where Harry, William, and the rest of their family — including Queen Elizabeth — stand today.
Read on for all of the biggest reveals about Harry and William's relationship from Battle of Brothers.
William's Mental Health Suffered After His Parents' Divorce
In the book, Lacey wrote that Queen Elizabeth started having weekly lunches with William when his parents got divorced to help make the time easier for him. He wrote:
"It was then three years after his parents’ separation – just two years before Diana’s death – and the Queen was worried about William's state of mind. The Queen actually feared that the boy might be heading for some sort of breakdown, she confided to one of her advisors – just as the prince's mother herself had clearly cracked up mentally in several respects."
Harry Knew He'd Never Be King
Princess Diana's former bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, said in the book that William and Harry had gotten into an argument when the younger prince was just 4 years old, telling William that since he would be the king one day and Harry wouldn't that he had the freedom to "do whatever I want." Pretty interesting he had that kind of awareness at such a young age.
William Wanted To Meet Camilla
Though we think there'd be a few mixed emotions there for William to meet his dad's girlfriend after his mother's death, supposedly, Will was totally into getting to know Camilla. He met her first, even though Diana's friends reportedly felt like it was a betrayal to her memory.
"The brothers did not feign great enthusiasm, but they expressed no hostility either," Lacey wrote.
William Searched for Backup
When it came to how serious Prince Harry's relationship with Meghan became so quickly, William enlisted the help of his uncle, Charles Spencer, to back him up, but Harry wasn't impressed that William was getting other members of his family involved.
"The result of the Spencer intervention was an even more bitter explosion. Once again Harry refused to slow down," Lacey wrote. "He didn’t blame his uncle. He understood why Diana’s brother should want to help. Yet he was furious with his elder brother for dragging other family members into the row.”
The 2019 Christmas Photo Was Meant To Send a Message
Last year, Meghan and Harry opted to go on vacation instead of spending Christmas with their family, and William wanted to send a message by posting a photo featuring him, Queen Elizabeth, George, and Prince Charles — everyone in the line of succession.
Lacey wrote:
"According to insiders, this formal photograph, taken in the Buckingham Palace Throne Room a week before Christmas 2019, was the idea of Prince Charles, anxious to promote his cause of the 'slimmed-down monarchy.'" Palace sources have also let it be known that the plan of depicting the direct line of royal succession was enthusiastically supported by Prince William, who was not saying anything for the record — but who wanted to send his younger brother a message."
Harry Wasn't Happy About Commonwealth Day
We all know that things between Meghan, Harry, William, and Kate seemed pretty icy on Commonwealth Day, and according to Lacey, Harry wasn't happy about the way things went down. Originally, he and Meghan were supposed to walk in with Will and Kate, but in the end, it just didn't turn out that way … and Harry really didn't like the optics of it all.
William Was a Fan of the Commonwealth Day Arrangement
Harry might not have liked the arrangement, but Lacey wrote that William was actually a big fan of skipping all the fanfare that came with the procession. "He and Kate would be quite happy, he declared, to skip the procession and to take their places without ceremony in the congregation alongside Harry and Uncle Edward," he said.
Meghan's Birth Announcement
Supposedly, William didn't love that the palace held off on announcing that Meghan had gone into labor until well into the process, calling the statement that was released "misleading" because by the time the palace had confirmed that she was in labor, Archie was already eight hours old. "[He] did not think too highly of Harry and Meghan's 'prima donna' [maneuvers] to conceal the birth of their son," Lacey wrote.
Will & Kate Waited Before They Met Archie
Apparently, because Will and Kate were upset with the way Meghan's birth announcement went, they waited a full eight days before going to meet Archie, even though the rest of the family already had.
"By contrast, the Queen, Prince Philip, Charles and Camilla all turned up within hours to coo over the baby — and it seemed strange that, when the Cambridges did finally pitch up more than a week later, they didn't bring along George, Charlotte and Louis to welcome their new cousin," Lacey wrote.
William & Charles Had a Strained Relationship
Lacey claimed that, as a child, William didn't get along with his dad. Instead, he preferred his mother and would take her side, often getting upset with Charles when he would make Diana cry. Reportedly, William felt "open disdain and aggression towards his father that has lasted to the present day."
Kate Turned Down Her First Invite to Sandringham
Kate Middleton had been invited to spend Christmas at Sandringham after she and William had been dating for five years, but she turned down the Queen's invite, saying she wouldn't go until they were engaged.
"It was the first time the Queen had ever extended such an invitation to an unregistered 'girlfriend,' but Kate had her own take on that break with tradition: she would go to Sandringham on Christmas Day only when she had been registered and had a ring to prove it. She went off to Scotland to spend the holiday with her family instead," Lacey wrote.
Meghan & Harry Had Different Goals
Originally, the Cambridges and the Sussexes were going to combine their charitable efforts, but Meghan and Harry quickly realized they didn't agree with the palace's agenda and wanted to branch out on their own, separating their office from Will and Kate's. They used their trip to South Africa to make a game plan with the help of Sunshine Sachs.
Why the Queen Didn't Let Meghan & Harry Keep Their Brand
According to Lacey, it was the word "royals" that Elizabeth had a problem with, thanks to Meghan and Harry's unpredictable behavior. He wrote:
"It was reliably reported that Her Majesty remained well-disposed towards her grandson and granddaughter-in-law. She wished them well in their new life in Canada – and her 'eighth great-grandchild' as well, of course. But it was also said by those in the know that the couple’s erratic and impulsive behavior for the past year had not inclined Queen Elizabeth II to entrust the Sussexes with the use of the word 'royal' any time soon."
Harry Denied a "Review"
After Harry announced that he and Meghan would be walking away from their positions as senior royals, the Queen reportedly offered him another chance to consider his big decision, but he declined.
"Prince Harry himself was not receptive to the idea of the separation being only for a year’s 'trial,'" Lacey wrote. "But as this book went to press, the conclusion of that trial period was only six months distant – ending on 31 March 2021. So will Harry and Meghan ever come home again?"
Harry & William Briefly Got Back in Touch
After finding out about Charles' coronavirus diagnosis in the spring, Lacey wrote that Harry and William did "resume telephone contact, but no one more has come of that." At this point, it sounds like they're still not on the best of terms, and considering how much distance is between them — emotionally and geographically — it's hard to say when that will ever change.
