The Real Spark Behind Prince William and Harry’s Long-Standing Rift: A Harsh Childhood Remark, Says Insider

Once upon a time, Prince William and Prince Harry were inseparable buddies. They went through the heartbreaking loss of their mom, Princess Diana, when they were just kids. But everything shifted when Harry stepped away from royal life with Meghan.

These days, the brothers haven’t spoken in ages. Was it all because of Harry’s exit? Well, according to Diana’s old butler, Paul Burrell, the roots of their fallout might go way back to something that happened in their childhood.

Growing up, William and Harry had a pretty fun childhood, all things considered. Diana was determined to give them as normal an upbringing as she could, and William’s carried that on with his own kids. Losing their mom hit them hard, leaving scars that never fully healed. Then, in 2020, Harry left the royal fold, and that’s when the real “brother battle” kicked off. Now, with William next in line for the throne, there’s all this buzz about his future coronation and whether Harry would even get an invite.

Word is, William wants his big day to feel fresh and modern. Last August, a mutual friend spilled to The Times that William might just skip inviting his brother altogether—they hadn’t talked in nearly two years. “It’s such a sad situation, they’re totally estranged,” the source said.

Sure, William could technically leave Harry off the list if he wanted. But royal author Christopher Andersen told Fox he’s pretty sure the Duke will show up anyway. “No matter how bad things are between them, I don’t think William would be dumb enough to snub his only brother—who’s still fifth in line—at his coronation,” Andersen reckoned.

Would Harry Even Show Up to William’s Coronation? One Source Thinks Not

Right now, the tension between the brothers is at an all-time high. William and King Charles seem to have teamed up to basically sideline Harry for the foreseeable future. No one’s talking reconciliation, and everyone’s just kind of accepted it.

Harry did make it back for his dad’s coronation, but the family vibes were frosty, to put it mildly. If William does extend an olive branch with an invite, Harry might not bite, according to a source chatting with PageSix.

Royal watcher Hugo Vickers told the site that, in theory, William ought to invite his little bro. “But hey, he can do whatever he wants—it’s not like there’s a rulebook etched in stone,” Vickers said. “Remember, the Duke of Windsor didn’t get an invite to Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953, and there was a ton of debate about that.”

Harry’s book, Spare, definitely didn’t help patch things up. If anything, it poured gasoline on the fire, especially with the digs he took at William and other royals.

That One Cruel Kid Comment That Might Have Started It All for William and Harry

The bad blood between these two isn’t exactly breaking news—it’s been simmering for years. But maybe it’s not as recent as we think. In a Channel 5 doc called The Palace: What the Royal Servants Saw, Paul Burrell—Diana’s former butler—suggested Harry’s “spare heir” resentment could trace back to their early days. He pointed to something like a nanny showing favoritism to William, the future king.

“I overheard one nanny telling William, ‘Here, have three sausages—you’ve got to grow up big and strong since you’re gonna be king someday,’” Burrell recalled.

Burrell started at Buckingham Palace as a teenager and even worked as Charles’s butler for a bit. He was around William and Harry a lot and saw their sibling rivalry unfold from the playground to adulthood.

“I ran into both of them in their early 20s at a polo game and had a chat. Even then, you could tell Harry felt like he was always playing second fiddle,” he added.

What do you reckon—will William and Harry ever bury the hatchet? Drop your take in the comments on Facebook!