Prince Harry shocked royal fans when he revealed his true feelings towards big brother William. And it served to further widen the gulf between the once-close siblings
Prince Harry made a number of shocking claims in his tell-all book, but his brutal nickname for older brother Prince William came as a surprise to royal fans.
Spare was released in January 2023 and caused a sensation given the numerous allegations and behind-the-scenes stories it contained. One eyebrow-raising passage saw Harry reflect on his relationship with William, and seemed to suggest years of resentment. The Duke describes his older sibling as both his “beloved brother” and “archnemesis” in his memoir – and he was asked about his remarks during an interview with Michael Strahan ahead of its official release. “Strong words,” Strahan remarked. “What did you mean by that?”
In response, Harry answered: “There has always been this competition between us, weirdly.” “I think it really plays into, or was played by, the ‘heir/spare,'” he continued, referring to Prince William’s role as the future king while he has moved down the line of succession as William and Princess Kate had children. Elsewhere in the memoir, Harry accused William of assault, saying that William called Meghan “difficult,” “rude,” and “abrasive,” before the confrontation escalated.
“He set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast,” Harry claimed. “So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping 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 brothers’ relationship now lies in tatters. Following his departure from the Royal Family , Harry, along with his wife Meghan , have been openly critical of the monarchy; from their notorious Oprah interview and their Netflix series to the bombshell memoir. And it seems it’s all proven too much for the Waleses. With Kate still receiving treatment following her cancer announcement, three young children to care for, and their prominent royal roles, the couple have decided to cut out the noise from the Sussex camp and “focus on positivity”.
A source confirmed to OK! Magazine : “William and Kate are very consciously focusing on positivity and recovery.” It comes after it was revealed that William has made the difficult decision to cut ties completely with his younger sibling. Royal expert Ingrid Seward told the Mirror : “William is sensitive, he likes structure and has perseverance. He does not give up easily. His relationship with brother Harry upset him more than he would care to admit. But he found it easier to cut ties rather than allow himself to be continually annoyed.”
Prince Harry was last in the UK for the Invictus Games’ 10th anniversary in May but failed to see any members of the royal family , including his dad, King Charles . The last time father and son duo were together was in February, when Harry jetted off to London following King Charles’s cancer announcement, However, their encounter at Clarence House lasted just 45-minutes. It’s unclear when Harry and William last met. During his January 2023 interview on ’60 Minutes’, Harry was asked if he “speaks to William now? Do you text?” to which he responded: “Currently, no. But I look forward to… I look forward to us being able to find peace.”
Asked how long it had been since their last communication, Harry admitted it had been “a while.” He added: “I look forward to having a relationship with my father and other members of my family. My brother and I love each other. I love him deeply. There has been a lot of pain between the two of us, especially the last six years.”
