Prince William and Prince Harry’s Relationship Remains at an All-Time Low Amid Family Rift
Once seen as inseparable brothers, Prince William and Prince Harry’s relationship has reached rock bottom, with little to no communication between them as their feud continues to fester. Though efforts were made to mend the rift when Harry and Meghan Markle’s struggles with royal life first became evident, a potential reconciliation was thwarted when Harry bluntly rejected a heart-to-heart meeting with his brother.
The first public sign of tension between the brothers emerged in 2019, during an interview Harry gave while he and Meghan were on a tour of South Africa. In a candid moment with ITV’s Tom Bradby, Harry revealed the pressures of life as working royals were taking a toll on the couple. He also hinted that his bond with William was under strain, saying that their relationship had “good days” and “bad days.”
A Missed Opportunity for Reconciliation
According to Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, a book by Valentine Low, after the interview aired, William attempted to reach out to Harry in the hopes of mending their fractured relationship. Initially, Harry was open to meeting his brother. However, Harry’s paranoia over potential leaks led him to shut down the idea.
The book recounts that William messaged Harry via WhatsApp, asking if they could meet in person. Although Harry initially agreed, he later grew wary after asking whom William would inform about their meeting. When William mentioned needing to tell his private secretary to adjust his schedule, Harry reportedly replied with a blunt two-word response: “Don’t come.” Harry’s fear that William’s team might leak the meeting to the press caused him to cancel the rendezvous, further delaying any chance of reconciliation.
Heartbreaking Fallout and Family Tensions
This missed opportunity was described as ‘heartbreaking’ by those close to the brothers. It highlighted the increasingly difficult dynamics within the royal family, where private conversations and meetings were often under the microscope due to the intense media scrutiny.
The strain between William and Harry reportedly began even before Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle, with the Duke of Sussex accusing his brother of being snobbish towards his bride. Over the years, their relationship only worsened, especially following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, as Harry publicly leveled serious accusations against William in his memoir Spare and in the couple’s Netflix documentary.
In his autobiography, Harry made explosive claims, accusing William of physically attacking him during a heated argument about Meghan, allegedly pushing him into a dog bowl. The Netflix series, released just two months after the Queen’s passing, added fuel to the fire when Harry and Meghan accused Kensington Palace of lying to protect William by issuing a statement that denied William had bullied Harry out of the royal family.
In another moving scene from Spare, Harry talked about how their father, King Charles III, begged them during a tense meeting at Windsor after Prince Philip’s funeral. Charles is said to have begged them, “Please, boys.” Don’t make my last years miserable.
Despite these attempts, the brothers’ relationship is still tense, and there aren’t many signs that they will be able to get along again soon.