Home Australia William and Harry fell out years before Megxit, says a leading royal author. They were on ‘no speaks’ 20 years ago – because little brother Harry felt he ALWAYS got the blame

William and Harry fell out years before Megxit, says a leading royal author. They were on ‘no speaks’ 20 years ago – because little brother Harry felt he ALWAYS got the blame

by Elijah
0 comment
Prince William and Prince Harry were ushers at Tamara Grosvenor's 2004 wedding at Chester Cathedral.

<!–

<!–

<!– <!–

<!–

<!–

<!–

Despite reports that Harry wants to rebuild bridges with the Royal Family, there are few signs that William will allow that to happen, not in the immediate term.

The distance between them is even sadder considering how close the two princes once were, united in adversity.

However, as royal biographer Robert Lacey points out, if there is now a gulf between the brothers, it is not the first time William and Harry have fallen out.

Prince William and Prince Harry were ushers at Tamara Grosvenor's 2004 wedding at Chester Cathedral.

Prince William and Prince Harry were ushers at Tamara Grosvenor’s 2004 wedding at Chester Cathedral.

Looking somber at St Paul's Cathedral to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee

Looking somber at St Paul's Cathedral to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee

Looking somber at St Paul’s Cathedral to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee

Prince Harry and his friend Guy Pelly watch England play France at Twickenham

Prince Harry and his friend Guy Pelly watch England play France at Twickenham

Prince Harry and his friend Guy Pelly watch England play France at Twickenham

Prince Harry made headlines after it was discovered he had been smoking cannabis.

Prince Harry made headlines after it was discovered he had been smoking cannabis.

Prince Harry made headlines after it was discovered he had been smoking cannabis.

Princes William and Harry at the Cirencester Park Polo Club. They had played in Highgrove's winning team for the King Constantine Trophy.

Princes William and Harry at the Cirencester Park Polo Club. They had played in Highgrove's winning team for the King Constantine Trophy.

Princes William and Harry at the Cirencester Park Polo Club. They had played in Highgrove’s winning team for the King Constantine Trophy.

In fact, the cracks were visible long before, as early as 2002.

That was the year Harry was discovered to have been smoking cannabis, a revelation that generated excruciating headlines about “drug shaming”.

There was further humiliation for Harry three years later, when he was photographed wearing a Nazi desert uniform at a colonial and native costume party held at the home of Olympic gold medal-winning jumper Richard Meade.

Amid the furor, Harry publicly apologized and was sent away by Prince Charles to be lectured by the Chief Rabbi.

Yet how was it possible, Lacey asks, for Harry to take full blame for such incidents while the older brother walked free from Scotland?

“Meghan was not the original factor in Prince Harry’s decision to get rid of his family,” the author writes in his best-selling Battle of the Brothers.

‘In January 2005, following the “Colonials and Natives” costume fiasco, we now know that Prince Harry was drawn to reassess his older brother’s involvement and the injustice of William’s appearance smelling of roses.

‘It made Harry feel alienated. Friends remember “not talking” and a pretty serious rift between the brothers at the time, like the one after 2002’s “Drug Shame,” when Harry began to realize the price of being the functional scapegoat.

On that occasion, Lacey writes, Harry and his friend Guy Pelly had taken the blame for the “wild antics” at the Rattlebone pub, “when the real leader of the Rattlebone gang was William.”

Prince Harry plays polo at Eton College in Cirencester Park

Prince Harry plays polo at Eton College in Cirencester Park

Prince Harry plays polo at Eton College in Cirencester Park

The Rattlebone Inn in Sherston, Wiltshire

The Rattlebone Inn in Sherston, Wiltshire

The Rattlebone Inn in Sherston, Wiltshire

The Sun newspaper published a photo of Prince Harry wearing a khaki uniform with a swastika armband for a costume party. The Crown recreated the moment, above, in its final series.

The Sun newspaper published a photo of Prince Harry wearing a khaki uniform with a swastika armband for a costume party. The Crown recreated the moment, above, in its final series.

The Sun newspaper published a photo of Prince Harry wearing a khaki uniform with a swastika armband for a costume party. The Crown recreated the moment, above, in its final series.

Harry was criticized but claims his brother had helped him choose the offending costume. There was no criticism of William in the subsequent furore.

Harry was criticized but claims his brother had helped him choose the offending costume. There was no criticism of William in the subsequent furor.

Harry was criticized but claims his brother had helped him choose the offending costume. There was no criticism of William in the subsequent furore.

Prince Harry's relationship with his brother suffered and they barely spoke, says author and royal commentator Katie Nicholl. Harry and William appear at Sandringham.

Prince Harry's relationship with his brother suffered and they barely spoke, says author and royal commentator Katie Nicholl. Harry and William appear at Sandringham.

Prince Harry’s relationship with his brother suffered and they barely spoke, says author and royal commentator Katie Nicholl. Harry and William appear at Sandringham.

Author and journalist Katie Nicholl recalls that a royal aide told her that “for the first time their relationship really suffered and they barely spoke… Harry resented the fact that William got away with it so lightly.”

Lacy concludes that:

‘It was the older brother’s job to be perfect, whether he really was or not, and it was the younger brother’s job to make the rest of us laugh, complain, or feel disapproval, and if anything, make us feel completely perfect. superior to the poor clueless child.

“This was the role that all of us gave to Prince Harry over the years.”

You may also like