Wat-Not Staff
Prince William and Prince Harry, who were once very close, have had a complicated relationship that includes both competition and affection, along with some misunderstandings. Their connection, formed by their shared experiences and family situations, has faced many difficulties, especially after Harry married Meghan Markle. This article looks at how their relationship has changed over time, using a detailed timeline.
Early Years: 1998-2010
In 1998, the two sibling pairs began to take shape and establish a social image of two princely brothers. Fun shared interests like skiing with their mother, Princess Diana, and attending various charity events characterised quite a number of their childhoods. However, lurking underneath was a fierce rivalry- a precursor of an impending brotherly conflict.
William crossed over to St Andrews University in Scotland by 2005, while Harry was still in the senior class of Eton school. Nonetheless, they were able to meet, and the distance between them was not a problem. Even after everything they had gone through regarding royal life, they remained affectionate and supportive of one another.
In 2010, William asked his long-time girlfriend, Kate Middleton, to marry him. Among the personal milestones, this was likely the most historic event that any other William had ever encountered. Still, Harry demonstrated his captivating affection for his brother through the event by supporting his elder brother. All these, however, took a turn when the elder sibling started facing serious royal responsibilities.
The Rise of Tensions: 2011-2017
The years of 2011-2017 proved significant for the brothers. In 2011, his brother confirmed his marriage to Kate on public television which brought both glee and censure. Harry had acted as best man, but amidst all the publicity centring around his brother’s new family, anxiety overshadowed his little right in Prince Harry’s warmest return.
By 2016, there started to arise some tensions as Prince Harry was dating an actress, Meghan Markle; it was reported that William raised his eyebrows at the swiftness of it all, and this accordingly led to disagreements within the brothers regarding Meghan and her assimilation issues into royal life.
The Fallout: 2018-2020
That was back in November 2018, when there were even rumours of a fight between the brothers over Harry’s questioning of why William was avoiding Meghan in family get-togethers. An incident which changed the dynamics of their relationship and drove gossip among the public, leading to their feud.
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan sent shockwaves to William and the rest of the royal family when they announced their intention of scaling back their responsibilities. The move further drove a wedge between them, especially when reports emerged that William was “sad” over Harry’s decisions.
Public Disputes: 2021-2022
As a consequence of all of this, in March 2021 came the explosive, however much-watched sit-down interview by Harry and Meghan on Oprah Winfrey. During the interview, Harry said that the couple was on “different paths” concerning their respective relationships. Therefore, their frankness advanced the public’s interest to find out more tidbits regarding their tumultuous relationship.
At the funeral of Prince Philip in July 2021, they were a picture of united efforts yet would not speak to one another. This silence was symbolic of the general way in which they were growing further and further apart, even when the Nell information surfaced.
Recent Developments: 2023-2024
The first time Prince William mentioned Harry in public was during a homelessness documentary in October 2024. William spoke nostalgically of James and a childhood they had spent together in his favourite town but did not refer to any estrangement as assumed existed.
Both brothers have said at least a little about the other in public since their last published conversation, of 2022: William continues with his royal life while Harry is trying to start a new one out in California. Their relationship is still strained but unmistakably complicated and ongoing.
With this perspective of time, it is all too apparent that William and Harry’s relationship reads like the most tragic love song: a complex tapestry of adoration, competition and emotions still to be woven as both work out what their roles in (and now outside) The Firm might look like.
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