Prince Harry and Prince William feud timeline: All the details of what happened as Spare is released
6 January 2023, 12:05
Why did Prince Harry and Prince William fallout, what has Prince Harry said about his brother in his new book and where did it all start?
Prince Harry, 38, has opened up about his complicated relationship with his older brother, Prince William, in his new autobiography, Spare.
Ahead of the Duke of Sussex's book being released, which will happen officially on the 10th January, contents of the memoir have been leaked to the media, revealing some shocking revelations about King Charles and Princess Diana's sons and their fractured relationship.
Meghan Markle's husband claims that William physically attacked him back in 2019 at Nottingham Cottage before going on to release more explosive details about his life within the Royal Family.
With the latest details from Harry's book, and the admission from the Prince himself that he would like to reconcile with his brother and father, here's a complete timeline of the brothers' fallout from the beginning to now.
November 2018
The initial reports that there was a rift forming between Prince Harry and Prince William came in November 2018.
At the time, royal correspondent Katie Nicholl revealed the brothers were not on great terms.
According to the expert's sources, the brothers butted heads over Christmas because Harry felt his brother wasn't doing enough to include his new wife into the Royal Family.
King Charles is believed to be the one who had to sort things out between his sons.
The source said: "Harry felt William wasn’t rolling out the red carpet for Meghan and told him so. They had a bit of a fallout, which was only resolved when Charles stepped in and asked William to make an effort.
"That’s when the Cambridges invited the Sussexes to spend Christmas with them.”
February 2019
A few months later, Katie Nicholl claimed that William had been concerned by how fast Harry's relationship with Meghan had moved.
She said during an appearance in documentary Kate v. Meghan: Princesses at War?: "I think what was meant as well-intended brotherly advice just riled Harry.
"Harry is hugely protective of Meghan. He saw that as criticism. He interpreted that as his brother not really being behind this marriage, this union, and I don’t think things have been quite right ever since.”
Also appearing in the documentary was The Sun's royal correspondent Emily Andrews, who said Harry “went ballistic" and said "you’re trying to wreck this relationship before it’s even started.’”
April 2019
In April of the same year, public speculation that things were not right between the brothers increased.
This came after footage of the royals attending an Easter Sunday service showed the brothers failing to speak to one another.
May 2019
The next month, things appeared to be better between the brothers with Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly extending an "olive branch" by visiting the couple's new home – at the time – Frogmore Cottage.
In the same month, Prince William spoke publicly about being "thrilled" for Meghan and Harry after they welcomed baby Archie.
In a clip taken from a royal engagement, he said that he would be seeing his brother "in a few days" and even joked that he was welcoming Harry to the "sleep deprivation society".
July 2019
All looked well for the royals in July when an official portrait taken from Archie's christening showed the whole family together, including William and Kate.
October 2019
For a few months everything seemed to be settling down, that was until Prince Harry admitted in an interview that there was something going on between himself and William.
Speaking in an ITV documentary about his royal tour with wife Meghan, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, Harry said: "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."
“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.”
He added: "We don’t see each other as much as we used to because we’re so busy, but you know, I love him dearly. The majority of this stuff [in the press] is created out of nothing, but you know, as brothers, you know, you have good days, you have bad days.”
December 2019
For Christmas this year, Harry and Meghan made the decision to not spend the festive period with the rest of the royals at Sandringham.
Instead, the couple chose to spend the holidays with Meghan's mum, Doria.
At the time, a source told US Weekly that the reported 'rift' between Harry and William was a factor in their decision.
January 2020
A New Year brought big changes for the Royal Family when Harry and Meghan announced they would be stepping down as senior royals.
The same month, Harry and William joined forces after reports appeared in the papers that the Duke of Cambridge had "bullied" Harry out of the royal family.
In a joint statement from the brothers, they said: “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.”
November 2020
While Harry wasn't in the country for the Royal Family's Remembrance Day Service, the Sunday Times reported that Harry had asked for a wreath of poppies to be laid on his behalf.
However, the reports were that this request was denied as he did not represent the royal family in an official capacity anymore, a decision Harry was said to be "deeply saddened" by.
It was said the Queen was not aware of Harry's request.
December 2020
In December of that year, Katie Nicholl said that Harry and William were getting along "much better" and that the brothers had been in regular contact.
A source told the Vanity Fair royal correspondent that Meghan and Harry had even sent the Cambridge's Christmas presents from LA.
March 2021
In March of 2021, Harry and Meghan's explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey aired.
In the bombshell interview, the couple opened up about their experiences within the Royal Family and with the British press.
Prince Harry also spoke on his relationship with his older brother, telling Oprah: "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.”
He added: “The relationship is ‘space’ at the moment, and time heals all things, hopefully.”
Related video:
Meghan says ‘a lot that’s been lost already' in second Oprah teaser clip
In the interview, Meghan also claimed that previous reports that she had made Kate Middleton cry during the preparations for her wedding were untrue, and that it was actually Kate who had upset her.
In the fallout from the interview, Katie Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight that William was "devastated" by the interview.
She said at the time: "Don’t forget that the Duchess of Cambridge is being dragged into this whole saga and William will hate that and…relationship between father and son is of course at an all-time low.
"I think that the idea that Kate’s being dragged into this will be upsetting for Kate, who behind the scenes has tried really hard to be a peacemaker between William and Harry. She has been deeply saddened by the brothers’ falling-out. Don’t forget she was incredibly close to Harry herself.”
In the days following the interview airing, William publicly spoke out during a royal engagement, telling a paparazzi who was heckling him the Royal Family is "very much not a racist family".
Watch the moment here:
Duke of Cambridge: We are not a racist family
A friend of Meghan and Harry's also appeared on CBS This Morning in the days following the interview where she updated the public on the status of Harry's relationship with his father and brother.
She said: “I did actually call them [Harry and Meghan] to see how they were feeling, and it’s true, Harry has talked to his brother and he has talked to his father too.
“The word I was given was that those conversations were not productive. But they are glad that they have at least started a conversation. And I think what is still upsetting to them is the palace keeps saying they want to work it out privately, but yet they believe these false stories are coming out that are very disparaging against Meghan, still.”
.@GayleKing checked in with Prince Harry & Meghan this weekend:
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) March 16, 2021
“Harry has talked to his brother and he has talked to his father, too. The word I was given was those conversations were not productive. But they are glad that they have at least started a conversation.” pic.twitter.com/fe0ATukkYw
April 2021
Following the death of Prince Philip, Prince Harry flew back to London to attend the funeral.
His wife, Meghan Markle, did not attend the funeral as she was late into her pregnancy with Lilibet.
At the funeral, Harry and William walked side-by-side behind the Duke of Edinburgh's coffin in the procession, and were even seen talking to one another while leaving the church following the service.
July 2021
A few months later, William and Harry put their differences aside to unveil a statue of Princess Diana at Kensington Palace.
The pair appeared on good terms, and were photographed smiling and laughing with one another at the event.
At the time, a source told Us: “William and Harry spent the morning before the statue unveiling looking through old keepsakes, notes from Diana and bonding."
“They have absolutely turned a new page in their relationship and have started the healing. Everyone around them was thrilled to see how close they were on the day of the statue unveiling.”
Related video:
Prince Harry and Prince William Talk About Diana
January 2022
Fast forward to January of this year and Penguin announces that Prince Harry is working on a memoir, although the contents – at the time – were not clear.
We now know that the book will be called Spare and will be released in January 2023.
April 2022
While doing some press at the Invictus Games, Harry was asked about his relationship with his family back in London.
During an interview with Today, Harry was asked whether he misses his brother and his father, a question he appeared to dodge while answering: “Look, I mean, for me at the moment, I’m here focused on these guys [athletes at the Invictus Games] and these families and giving everything that I can, 120 percent, to them to make sure they have the experience of a lifetime.
"That’s my focus here. And then I leave here, I get back and my focus is on my family, who I miss massively…[Archie and Lilibet] are two little people, you know?”
June 2022
Harry and Meghan returned to the UK in June to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee with their children, Archie and Lilibet.
During the visit, the Queen is said to have met Lilibet for the first time at Frogmore Cottage, where the couple were staying during their trip.
A birthday party was also thrown for one-year-old Lilibet, however, William and Kate did not attend as they were in Wales on official business.
September 2022
Prince Harry travelled back to the UK after it was announced that the Queen was unwell.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away on 8th September at Balmoral Castle, with the state funeral taking place a week later on 19th September.
Harry and Meghan united with William and Kate in the days following the Queen's death, venturing out to the gates of Windsor Castle to read messages from members of the public.
At the funeral, William and Harry walked side-by-side behind their grandmother's coffin.
December 2022
Earlier this month, Harry and Meghan's Netflix documentary was released onto the streaming service.
The first three episodes were released on 8th December, and the following three dropped on the 15th December.
The couple's Netflix premiere centred around their love story, including how they met, but also touched on issues with the British press and difficulties within the Royal Family.
In Volume I, Meghan recalled the first time she met Kate, explaining: "Even when Will and Kate came over, and I met her for the first time, they came over for dinner, I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot.
"Like I was a hugger, I've always been a hugger. I didn't realise that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits. I guess I started to understand really quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside."
In the episodes, Harry also added: “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 mould, 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."
In the second instalment of the documentary, Harry makes a direct reference to his brother, saying: "They were happy to lie to protect my brother, they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us."
January 2023
Just when the public thought there couldn't be more revelations regarding Harry and William's relationship, contents of the Duke of Sussex's memoir, Spare, were leaked to the press days before the official release date.
In extracts from the book, including those shared by The Guardian and The Sun, Harry calls William his "arch-nemesis" and claims that the Prince of Wales physically attacked him back in 2019.
Harry claims that during a conversation with William at Nottingham Cottage, his older brother called Meghan "difficult", "rude" and "abrasive".
Related video:
Prince Harry says mum Diana would be ‘sad’ about his relationship with William in GMA interview promo
Harry writes in the book that William "grabbed him by the collar", "ripped his necklace" and "knocked him to the floor".
The extract reads: “He [William] set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast.
"He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor.
"I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”
Meanwhile, Harry has taken part in a handful of interviews in the lead up to the release of Spare with ITV, CBS and Good Morning America.
In a clip released from his interview with Good Morning America, host Michael Strahan reveals that within the book Harry refers to William as his “beloved brother and arch-nemesis”.
When asked what he meant by this, Harry responds: "There has always been this competition between us, weirdly. I think it really plays into or always played by the 'heir/spare'."
In the same interview, Harry admitted that he thinks his late mother, Princess Diana, would be "sad" about the relationship between Harry and William.
To read all the allegations from Harry written about in his new book, click here.
Read more:
- Prince Harry says Diana would be 'sad' about his relationship with William
- Prince Harry reveals final words to Queen after he found out she died online
- Prince Harry book: All the latest bombshell revelations about William, Kate and Camilla
