Prince William and Prince Harry are in the midst of a years-long royal rift, and it seems the two brothers have no plans of making up anytime soon. With not one but two family cancer diagnoses, a slew of tell-all reporting from royal experts, and a few bombshell documentaries, there has been no shortage of drama, both real and manufactured.
It all started with Prince Harry's romance with Meghan Markle, the Suits actress who eventually became his wife. After dating for a year, the pair had a multi-million dollar wedding in St. George's Chapel in 2018. Relations continued to deteriorate from there. Years later, after departing from royal duties and relocating to the United States, Prince Harry demanded an apology from the monarchy:
"You know what you did, and I now know why you did it," he said in an interview with The Telegraph. "And you’ve been caught out, so just come clean.”
But what, exactly, did Prince William and his family do? And why does the royal rift continue? Read the full timeline of Prince William and Prince Harry's feud below.
November 2018: Prince William refused to "roll out the red carpet" for Meghan Markle.
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first got together, UK tabloids immediately pitted her against her future sister-in-law, Kate Middleton. To be fair, the allegations of a frosty relationship weren't totally inaccurate, but at the time, it was actually Prince Harry and Prince William who had beef. According to royals reporter Katie Nicholl, Prince Harry was angry that his brother did not "roll out the red carpet" for his new wife, whom he married in May.
February 2019: The trailer for 'Kate v. Meghan: Princesses at War' drops.
Unsurprisingly, the documentary is full of family drama — especially as it relates to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love life. Reporter Katie Nicholl set the scene in the doc: “William was quite concerned that the relationship had moved so quickly. And being close to Harry, probably the only person close enough to say to Harry, This seems to be moving quickly, are you sure?’”
Following that, a second reporter, Emily Andrews, described Prince Harry's response: Harry “went ballistic and said, ‘You’re trying to wreck this relationship before it’s even started.’"
May 2019: Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Frogmore Cottage.
Shortly after Meghan Markle gave birth to son Archie, Prince William and Kate Middleton paid the new parents a celebratory visit at Frogmore Cottage. "I'm very pleased to welcome my own brother to the sleep deprivation society that is parenting!" Prince William joked.
June 2019: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle split from their joint charity with Prince William and Kate Middleton.
One month after the birth of their first son, Archie, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle parted ways with Prince William and Kate Middleton from their joint charity, The Royal Foundation.
July 2019: Prince William and Kate Middleton attend baby Archie's christening.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first child, Prince Archie of Sussex, was christened in a small private ceremony at Queen Elizabeth's private chapel at Windsor Castle. The day was only slightly soured by Prince William's slightly sour facial expression and the fact that, according to US Weekly, he was unhappy the whole event was kept private: “William thinks his brother is going overboard keeping Archie out of the spotlight" and he “blames Meghan.”
October 2019: Prince Harry admits to feuding with Prince William.
In an ITV documentary that chronicled the couple's visit to Africa, Prince Harry confirmed that "stuff" had happened between him and his brother: "Part of this role and part of this job, and this family, being under the pressure that it’s under, inevitably, you know, stuff happens,” he said. "But look, we’re brothers, we’ll always be brothers. And we’re certainly on different paths at the moment, but I’ll always be there for him, as I know he’ll always be there for me.”
November 2019: Things between Prince Harry and Prince William are "not great."
For son Archie's first Christmas, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry opted out of the big royal holiday, making plans instead to spend it with Markle's mom, Doria Ragland. This, after an US Weekly article revealed that things between the two brothers were "not great."
January 2020: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce their departure from the royal family.
As soon as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their plans to step down as working royals, rumors started flying about the supposed family feud. Apparently Prince William was "blindsided" by the decision, according to Us Weekly. The two brothers eventually released a joint statement to set the record straight:
“Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a UK newspaper today speculating about the relationship between The Duke of Sussex and The Duke of Cambridge. For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful.”
March 2020: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make one last appearance as working royals.
In a final public appearance as working royals, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle joined Prince William and Kate Middleton at the Commonwealth Day Service. It was the first time the two couples had been seen together in months. Soon after, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated to Los Angeles.
June 2020: Another book about the royal feud drops.
Co-written by reporters Omid Scobie (who would later author Endgame) and Carol Durand, Finding Freedom: offered new details into the growing feud between Prince William and Prince Harry. The book chronicles the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, with contributions from Meghan Markle via a third-party source.
September 2020: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sign a deal with Netflix.
After moving to the States in June, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared ready to air their grievances, starting with a multi-million dollar contract with Netflix. The Firm is, unsurprisingly, displeased at the idea of more dirty laundry coming to light. Meanwhile, an excerpt from Robert Lacey's book Battle of Brothers revealed that Prince William enlisted the help of Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, in a last ditch effort to intervene in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's romance.
“The result of the Spencer intervention was an even more bitter explosion,” the excerpt read. “Once again, Harry refused to slow down. He didn’t blame his uncle. He understood why Diana’s brother should want to help. Yet he was furious with his elder brother for dragging other family members into the row. The fraternal fissure became established. There would be patch-ups and reconciliations, especially when a public show of unity was required. But that anger and mistrust—that distance—has lasted to the present day.”
October 2020: Book excerpt reveals Prince William and Prince Harry's "showdown" over Meghan Markle's 'Vogue' cover.
Back in July of 2019, Meghan Markle guest edited the September issue of British Vogue, which she named the "Forces of Change" issue alongside editor-in-chief Edward Enninful. Now, over a year later, another excerpt from Robert Lacey's book Battle of the Brothers confirmed that Prince William was none too happy about it.
According to Lacey, who spoke with The Mirror, the two brothers had a "showdown": "[it was] another classic Harry explosion, followed by a further, even deeper rift.”
November 2020: Prince Harry is denied a wreath on Remembrance Day.
Following his departure from official royal duties, Prince Harry's request to carry a wreath of roses at the national memorial for fallen soldiers was denied, as reported by People. Neither he nor Buckingham Palace offered comment on the decision.
March 2021: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get candid with Oprah.
In a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey on CBC News, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex got real about what life was like as working royals. As we now know, it wasn't pretty. When asked about his brother Prince Harry said they were both taking "space."
"As I’ve said before, I love William to bits. He’s my brother. We’ve been to hell together. But we’re on different paths.”
Prince William weighed in after the interview to confirm that the royal family is "very much not a racist family."
April 2021: Tensions run high at Prince Philip's funeral.
Prince Philip was laid to rest in a small, family-only ceremony that included both Prince William and Prince Harry, his grandsons. The funeral came just one month after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
“Truth be told, Harry didn’t really know what to expect before he came home, which is why he reached out before seeing everyone,” said a source in The Mirror. “He wrote a deeply personal note to his dad to try and set things straight but tensions are still running high and things haven’t exactly ironed out the way he had hoped.”
July 2021: Prince Harry and Prince William reunite for the unveiling of the Princess Diana statue.
On what would have been Princess Diana's 60th birthday, Prince William and Prince Harry came together to honor their late mother with a statue unveiling ceremony at Kensington Palace.
January 2022: Penguin Books breaks news of Prince Harry's upcoming memoir.
Following a reportedly frosty fall between Prince Harry and his brother, the former announced that he is finally ready to spill the tea about all that family drama (or at least, some of it).
June 2022: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Platinum Jubilee.
It wasn't exactly a joyous family reunion, though: Prince Harry and Markle were only seen at two events over the weekend, and quietly returned home to California after paying their respects to the Queen.
September 2022: Meghan Markle tells all on 'The Cut.'
After stepping back from royal duties, Meghan Markle basically broke the internet with a cover story and interview on The Cut. The royals, obviously, were not pleased. According to Entertainment Tonight, "the royal family is disappointed by Meghan Markle’s latest comments in The Cut magazine and on her podcast. They are distressed that after stepping back from the royal family—claiming a need for privacy—she continues to publicize family matters in public.”
December 2022: 'Harry & Meghan' comes out on Netflix.
In a new two-part documentary simply titled Harry & Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex chronicled their love story after having met on a blind date in 2016. Prince Harry described himself in direct contrast to his father and his brother: “For so many people in the family, especially obviously the men, there can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who would fit the mold as opposed to somebody who you are perhaps destined to be with. The difference between making decisions with your head or your heart. My mom certainly made most of her decisions, if not all of them, from her heart, and I am my mother’s son.”
January 2023: Prince Harry drops 'Spare.'
On January 10, the wait for Prince Harry's highly anticipated memoir was finally over. Spare was damning, even if it did leave out some tea, and much of the drama described in the book centered on Harry's brother, Prince William. Needless to say, their relationship deteriorated even further after the book's release.
January 2023: The royal family entertains coronation "peace talks" with Prince Harry.
Amid a flurry of preparations for the coronation of King Charles III, Prince Harry reportedly flew back to the UK to try and make amends before the big event, which just so happened to fall on his son Archie's birthday. According to The Sun, “one source believes the relationships are ‘fixable’ but are ‘going to take flexibility on all sides.’”
June 2023: A painting of the two brothers is removed from the National Portrait Gallery.
A 2010 portrait painted by Nicky Philipps was reportedly removed from the National Portrait Gallery in London, according to The Times. In the context of their years-long feud, the news, although sad, didn't exactly come as a shock to the public.
November 2023: "There's no going back" for Prince Harry and Prince William.
In his new tell-all book Endgame, royal reporter Omid Scobie chronicled the feud between Prince Harry and Prince William, offering no hope for the future of their relationship. "There's no going back," he told People. “In the eyes of some within the institution, Harry is a threat to the crown. His freedom to exert his own thinking outside of the confines of the institution has made him the enemy.”
That wasn't the only bomb Scobie dropped in Endgame: he also revealed that it was Princess Anne who "persuaded Charles" to evict the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from Frogmore Cottage, and what's more, that Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have had "almost zero direct communication" for four years.
February 2024: Prince William doesn't want his brother's help with royal duties.
Following the news of King Charles' cancer diagnosis, Prince Harry offered a helping hand to the royal family. But while King Charles is eager to help repair the rift between his two sons, Prince William had zero interest.
"Harry is very concerned about his father’s health," The King author Christopher Andersen told Fox News. "If it were up to Harry, he would almost certainly pitch in, even if it meant keeping an arm’s length away from William, who is still simmering with rage over Harry’s conduct."
February 2024: Prince William is "jealous" Prince Harry's Invictus Games success.
After a new documentary about Prince Harry and the Invictus Games dropped on Hulu, some viewers noticed a lack of enthusiasm from his older brother. Titled Prince Harry's Mission: Life, Family, and Invictus Games, the doc is based on a number of interview he did with ABC News while in Whistler, Canada.
At one point in the special, journalist Robert Jobson reveals that Prince William was "surprised" by the success of the games; "I think there was a degree of jealousy about how well it had gone," Jobson said. "I do think that William was surprised how much this had been such a success and how much money was being thrown into it and how many governments were getting involved."
March 2024: Prince William declines a visit from Prince Harry in London.
On a visit to London to see his father, King Charles, Prince Harry reached out to his brother to make plans. Unfortunately, Prince William wasn't interested in a reunion (and neither was his wife): "It would be the normal run of things to go and see your sister-in-law who's had a serious operation and also see your niece and nephews," a royals source told People. "But it isn't normal. It's terribly sad."
May 2024: Prince William is "furious" over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's trip to Nigeria.
After the couple's three-day trip to Nigeria, which featured a packed itinerary of royal appointments, Prince William and King Charles are apparently furious. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's visit bore a suspicious resemblance to an official royal visit, royal reporter Tom Quinn told The Mirror: "William is absolutely furious and determined to find a way to stop this happening in [the] future,” he said. “Charles is said to be angrier than anyone has ever seen him.”
June 2024: Prince Harry avoids the "society wedding of the year."
Though the two are apparently close friends, Prince Harry decided not to attend the wedding of the Duke of Westminster, who tied the knot with Olivia Henson over the weekend. Heralded as the "society wedding of the year," it was apparently impossible for Harry to attend alongside his brother, who served as an usher.
June 2024: Relations are at an "all-time low."
The ongoing feud between Prince William and Prince Harry appears to have reached a boiling point. In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, royal expert Katie Nicholl explained the state of affairs between the two brothers: "Relations between the Sussexes and the Wales remains at an all-time low," she said. "I'm told that William and Harry really are not even on speaking terms."