Here's When Prince William & Prince Harry's Royal Family Feud Began

Elisa Lewittes
·2 min read
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Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the Royal Family in 2019, his strained relationship with his older brother, Prince William finally came into public view. However, the rift between the British siblings endured for years before the momentous news broke, years prior to Markle and Kate Middleton coming into the picture.

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The historian and author of the new book, Battle of Brothers: The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult, Robert Lacey disclosed more on the private lives of the Royal siblings. The consultant for the Netflix show, The Crown, revealed to People that their tense relationship dated back to their parents’ rocky marriage.

“Both brothers have been damaged by their upbringings; both have reacted by finding different solutions,” the author said. “There is so much pain and trauma in this story, going right back to the beginning.”

They were raised to be close and protective of each other, Lacey explained. However, the source of their family feud ultimately came down to their imbalance of power over the future generation’s roles in the British monarchy. While William was preparing for his future succession to the throne, Harry was left without a certain role.

Then, when Harry started dating Markle, his older brother cautioned that their relationship was moving too quickly and appeared to have only further strained their brotherly bond. “Fundamental to the whole saga is the clash of love versus duty,” Lacey asserted. With the two brothers on different continents and differing family values, the geographical distance along with Harry’s stepping down from his royal duties could create could result in their relationship ending in potential tragedy.”

Before you go, click here to find out which tell-all books expose major royal family secrets.

Commonwealth Day 2020. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London on Commonwealth Day. The service is their final official engagement before they quit royal life. Picture date: Monday March 9, 2020. See PA story ROYAL Commonwealth.
Commonwealth Day 2020. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London on Commonwealth Day. The service is their final official engagement before they quit royal life. Picture date: Monday March 9, 2020. See PA story ROYAL Commonwealth.

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