Prince William and his brother, Prince Harry, have been at the center of an extensive royal feud that’s continued for almost a decade.
From the controversial CBS interview in 2021 to Harry’s new memoir, it’s difficult to see how the brothers will ever see eye-to-eye again. But here’s everything you need to know about the royal feud.
The Sons of King Charles
William, Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, are the sole children of King Charles, the reigning monarch of Britain.
Princess Diana conceived both during her 15-year marriage to the son of Queen Elizabeth II. While many would assume the royal princes would have a great relationship, having grown up as siblings, this is not the case.
Royal Feud Between Brothers
Over the past few years, the brothers have been engaged in a royal beef that, at times, has been publicly broadcast for the world to see.
From Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah to their 2022 Netflix series, all has been revealed for the public to gossip over.
Where It All Began
The royal tiff between William and Harry extends back to 2018. During Christmas of that year, Harry confronted his brother, saying that William wasn’t doing enough to make his wife, Meghan, feel like part of the royal family.
“Harry felt William wasn’t rolling out the red carpet for Meghan and told him so. They had a bit of a fallout, which was only resolved when Charles stepped in and asked William to make an effort,” wrote royal reporter Katie Nicholl (via Cosmopolitan).
William Disapproves of Meghan
The following year, it appears things didn’t get any better between the brothers. Nicholl wrote, “William was quite concerned that the relationship had moved so quickly.”
She continued, “Harry is hugely protective of Meghan. He saw that as criticism. He interpreted that as his brother not really being behind this marriage, this union, and I don’t think things have been quite right ever since.”
Harry Acknowledges the Beef Exists
In October 2019, Prince Harry finally said he and William weren’t seeing eye-to-eye during ITV’s documentary “Harry & Meghan.”
“But look, we’re brothers, we’ll always be brothers. And we’re certainly on different paths at the moment, but I’ll always be there for him, as I know he’ll always be there for me,” he said (via Cosmopolitan).
Retreating from Royal Duties
When Harry and Meghan broke the internet in 2020 by announcing they’d be retreating from royal duties, William was greatly shocked by the news.
William was clearly still annoyed just a few months later when a source spoke with Us Weekly, saying, “William is so tired and done with the drama of it all. Seeing Harry cut ties with virtually every aspect of his English life and identity is so hard to fathom.”
The Beef Reaches New Levels After Interview
The brothers’ feud appears to have reached new heights in the wake of the Oprah interview in March 2021, in which Harry and Meghan made some shocking revelations.
During a portion of the talk, the royal couple revealed that two senior royals had made racist remarks about the skin tone of their soon-to-be-born child, Archie.
No Sign of Making Up
By 2022, the brothers’ relationship showed no signs of improving. In fact, according to US Weekly, their relationship hit “rock bottom” in the wake of the CBS interview.
The Duke of Cambridge “doesn’t know who [Harry] is anymore, and the trust between them is strained,” especially after the royal family was “burned so many times” by criticism. “They’ll never recover from the damage that has been done,” a source told Us Weekly.
Prince William Avoids His Brother
Alongside the CBS interview, further shocking acts were revealed in Harry and Meghan’s Netflix series and the prince’s later memoir, “Spare.”
Throughout 2022, Prince William avoided his brother as he didn’t want to speak with him until Harry’s memoir had been released.
William Attacks Harry
Prince Harry’s memoir was finally released at the beginning of 2023, and just as many had imagined, it further added tensions to the brothers’ feud. According to Harry, William had physically attacked his younger brother after a heated argument occurred over Meghan.
An excerpt from “Spare” read: “He set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripped my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. 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.”
The End of Their Relationship
With the release of Harry’s memoir came the end of his relationship with William, according to a source. Speaking with Us Weekly, they said, “At this point, [William’s] got no plans to speak to Harry. He’s come to terms with the fact [that] he’s lost his little brother and quite possibly for life.”
In the wake of their father’s cancer diagnosis in 2024, many are hopeful the brothers can set their personal feud aside. Yet, others surmise things have gone too far, and the brothers will never see eye-to-eye again.
