Prince William and Prince Harry were once seen as an inseparable pair, bonded by the loss of Princess Diana and the pressures of growing up inside the monarchy. That relationship has since deteriorated into one of the royal family’s most bitter feuds.
Although many of their disagreements reportedly occurred behind palace walls, the brothers’ divide has repeatedly spilled into public view through interviews, funerals, memoir allegations, carefully managed appearances, and years without meaningful contact.
Here are 10 moments when William and Harry’s royal rift became impossible to hide.
1. Harry Admitted The Brothers Were On ‘Different Paths’
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Harry publicly acknowledged tension with William for the first time during the 2019 ITV documentary “Harry & Meghan: An African Journey.”
“We are certainly on different paths at the moment, but I will always be there for him as I know he will always be there for me,” Harry said, adding that the brothers had “good days” and “bad days,” while insisting that he still loved William “dearly.”
The admission came after Harry and Meghan Markle separated their charitable operation from the Royal Foundation they previously shared with William and Kate Middleton, per PEOPLE. Until that point, reports of a feud had largely been attributed to royal insiders. Harry’s own words confirmed that the brothers were no longer moving through royal life as a team.
2. Harry’s Royal Exit Placed The Brothers On Opposite Sides
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The divide deepened in January 2020 when Harry and Meghan announced their intention to step back as senior working royals. The announcement was reportedly made before the couple had finalized the plan with Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles, or William. The Sussexes wanted to become financially independent while continuing to support the Queen, but the arrangement they proposed was ultimately rejected.
Harry later claimed during his Netflix documentary that William screamed at him during the Sandringham summit where the family discussed his future. “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me,” Harry said.
The agreement ultimately pushed Harry and Meghan out of official royal life while William remained firmly committed to the monarchy his brother left behind.
3. William Publicly Rejected Claims Made During The Oprah Interview
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The brothers’ dispute became even more public following Harry and Meghan’s March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. Meghan alleged that an unnamed member of the royal family raised concerns about how dark Prince Archie’s skin might be before his birth. Harry confirmed that a conversation had occurred but declined to identify the person involved.
Days later, a reporter asked William whether the royal family was racist. “We’re very much not a racist family,” William responded during a public engagement. William also acknowledged that he had not yet spoken to Harry but said he planned to do so.
4. The Brothers Were Separated At Prince Philip’s Funeral
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William and Harry reunited publicly for the first time after the Oprah interview at Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021. The world watched for any sign of reconciliation, but the funeral procession visibly demonstrated their separation.
Their cousin Peter Phillips walked between them as the royal family followed Philip’s coffin through the grounds of Windsor Castle. The palace insisted the arrangement was not a reflection of their feud, but the image of the estranged brothers walking apart told a different story to royal watchers.
William and Harry were later photographed speaking with Kate after the service, offering brief hope that their grandfather’s death might bring them closer. However, no lasting reconciliation followed.
5. They Put On A United Front For Princess Diana’s Statue
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William and Harry appeared together again in July 2021 to unveil a statue honoring their mother on what would have been her 60th birthday. The brothers smiled, spoke briefly, and stood side by side in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace. They also released a joint statement honoring Diana’s “love, strength and character.”
Despite the display of unity, the ceremony was notably small, and neither brother delivered a separate speech. Harry returned to the United States shortly afterward.
6. Queen Elizabeth’s Death Forced A Tense Reunion
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William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan surprised the public in September 2022 when they appeared outside Windsor Castle following Queen Elizabeth’s death. The four viewed floral tributes and greeted mourners in their first joint appearance since Harry and Meghan left royal duties.
The walkabout was reportedly organized at William’s invitation and was widely interpreted as a temporary show of unity. However, the tension remained visible throughout the mourning period.
At the Queen’s funeral, William and Harry avoided eye contact and showed little warmth toward one another. Harry also wore a morning suit rather than the military uniform permitted for working royals. The brothers walked behind another family member’s coffin, but the shared grief did not repair their relationship.
7. Harry Accused William Of Screaming At Him
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Harry’s Netflix documentary series, released in December 2022, brought their private confrontation at Sandringham into public view. The Duke of Sussex claimed William shouted at him while the family debated the terms of his royal exit.
“It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that just simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in,” Harry recalled.
He also accused William’s communications office of participating in a system that traded negative stories about other family members for favorable press coverage. “I would far rather get destroyed in the press than play along with this game, or this business of trading,” Harry said.
8. ‘Spare’ Exposed Their Alleged Physical Fight
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Harry delivered the most damaging account of the brothers’ relationship in his January 2023 memoir, “Spare.” He alleged that William physically attacked him during a 2019 argument about Meghan.
According to Harry, William called Meghan “difficult,” “rude,” and “abrasive” before the confrontation escalated inside Nottingham Cottage. “He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor,” Harry wrote, claiming he landed on a dog bowl, which shattered beneath him and injured his back.
He also revealed that the brothers referred to each other as “Willy” and “Harold,” personal details that made the alleged confrontation feel especially intimate.
William has never publicly responded to the physical assault allegation.
9. King Charles’ Coronation Failed To Bring Them Together
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Harry returned to Britain alone for King Charles’ coronation in May 2023. Although his attendance placed him in the same room as William, the brothers were not seen speaking or interacting.
Harry sat in the third row at Westminster Abbey rather than alongside William and other senior working royals. He left London shortly after the ceremony and did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Meghan remained in California with Archie and Lilibet.
The coronation was one of the most important events of their father’s life, yet it failed to generate even a brief public reunion between the brothers. Their seating, lack of interaction, and Harry’s rapid departure made the depth of the estrangement clear.
10. Their Rival U.K. Engagements Showed The Rift Remains
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Harry’s 2026 return to the United Kingdom placed the brothers in the same country again, but there has been no sign of a personal reunion. On September 17, Harry attended the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards in London while William and Kate carried out official engagements on the Isle of Bute in Scotland. The dueling appearances highlighted how separate their public lives have become.
William was representing the monarchy alongside the Princess of Wales, while Harry promoted the Invictus organization as a private citizen. Harry has expressed a desire to reconcile with his family, but William reportedly has no immediate intention of rebuilding their personal or professional relationship.
Six years after Harry left royal duties, the brothers are still carrying out prominent work on British soil without acknowledging one another.
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