Princes William and Harry’s rift is most profound conflict between ‘heir and spare’ for a generation

The ‘once unbreakable’ bond between Prince William and Prince Harry has suffered a ‘devastating breakdown’ in the past 18 months – making it the most profound conflict between an heir and spare for a generation, an explosive new book claims.

Biographer Robert Lacey, a historical consultant for Netflix’s The Crown as well as the author of Majesty, a 1977 study of Queen Elizabeth, has penned Battle of Brothers: William and Harry – the Friendship and the Feuds, set to be released in October.

He told how he was ‘astonished’ and ‘sometimes moved to tears’ by the fresh details of the rift that emerged while he was researching the conflict. 

The book explores conflicts that emerge as a result of the heir and the spare dynamic that permeates British aristocracy, and claims that the ‘seeds of damage were sown’ when William and Harry’s parents’ marriage unravelled.

It will also delve into how the relationship between the two brothers has been impacted by their wives – Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, both 38 – and claims to offer more detail on why the Sussexes chose to quit as senior members of the Royal Family and move to Los Angeles with their son Archie, one.

In a press release seen by People, Lacey said: ‘These two brothers – once inseparable and now separated by much more than mere distance – have been acting out the contradictions that go back into their childhoods and even before that: into their parents’ ill-fated marriage.

‘We have seen conflicts between heir and spare in every recent generation of the royal family — but nothing so profound as this.’

He added that writing the book was both ‘painful and enthralling’, admitting: ‘I have been astonished and sometimes moved to tears by the fresh details and insights I have discovered in researching this story of family conflict. 

‘It has been both enthralling and painful to trace this drama through the memories of close witnesses and some of the people most intimately involved.’

The book’s synposis tells how Lacey investigates the ‘untold reality’ of the brothers’ relationship. 

‘Much reported on but little understood, Diana’s boys have lived under constant scrutiny since birth,’ it reads.

‘Raised to be the closest of brothers, the last 18 months has seen a devastating breakdown of their once unbreakable bond.

‘With an unrivalled knowledge of court life and access to impeccable sources, Robert Lacey investigates the untold reality of the brothers’ relationship, explaining what happened when two sons were raised for vastly different futures and showing how the seeds of damage were sown as their parents’ marriage unravelled.’

It is believed the trigger that caused the rift to develop between William and Harry was when the Duke of Cambridge, 38, advised his younger sibling to ‘take things slow’ when he first began dating Meghan Markle in 2017. 

Relations became so sour that they reportedly didn’t talk for weeks after Harry’s wedding, where William was best man. Then Megxit, and the way it was handled, left William and Charles devastated.  

In a documentary last year – Harry & Meghan: An African Journey – the Duke of Sussex, 35, admitted he and William are ‘certainly on different paths at the moment’.

He told ITV’s Tom Bradby: ‘Inevitably stuff happens. But we’re brothers, we’ll always be brothers.’

The jacket cover of the book features a photograph taken earlier this year when the ‘Fab Four’ reunited at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, where royal watchers branded their interaction ‘frosty’. 

A source previously told People that the brothers’ relationship is ‘forever changed’ and they ‘won’t get back to the way they were’.

‘Harry is looking straight ahead at his future with his family,’ they added.  

During lockdown, a source told Fabulous Digital that the brothers have been chatting via Zoom.

‘William finds Zoom a good, informal way of keeping in touch, and some would say “tabs”, on his younger brother,’ they said, adding that the calls remain private between the two brothers, with a friend close to the pair claiming William is ‘very anxious’ to keep the calls ‘low key and casual’. 

The Mail on Sunday previously revealed that former Welsh Guards officer Mark Dyer has a new role acting as a pivotal go-between in the sensitive business of building bridges between once-close Harry and William, particularly since the younger sibling turned his back on Royal life.

A friend said: ‘Long transatlantic chats between Mark and Harry have started to reap healing dividends between the brothers. His advice to the Prince was “talk and listen”.’

Meanwhile Meghan and Harry’s upcoming book ‘Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the making of a modern Royal Family’, which the couple are believed to have cooperated with, is soon to be released and charts their journey among the Royal Family, to the point where they stepped down from senior duties this year.

Royal aides are now said to be increasingly worried about the publication and the potential repercussions for the future monarch Prince William, reports The Sun.

The book is not an official biography though it is believed the couple have worked with the authors – journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand.

Over 100 people from around the Royal Family are understood to have given information for the production of the book, which is believed to be set to show Harry and Meghan in a positive light.

With large topics set to centre around the withdrawal of Harry and Meghan from senior roles, royal anxiety now surrounds the likely inclusion of the Queen’s ‘Megxit’ showdown talks at Sandringham, in which the Royal Family came together to discuss the transition.

It is felt that Prince William’s role in said talks may not be looked back upon favourably, with England’s future king reported to be the last to arrive and made a swift exit in the aftermath.

The talks resulted in Harry and Meghan being request to drop their HRH titles, before they then moved to Canada, and Los Angeles thereafter. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex then outlined their plans to become financially independent and earn their own income.

Royal sources have said such a possible negative portrayal as William as a ‘bad guy’ against the philanthropic Harry and Meghan would not be fair.

A source told the Sun: ‘They are worried William especially will be portrayed in a bad light. This sort of family spat shouldn’t be out there in public.

‘This shouldn’t happen to future monarchs. The book could be the most damaging thing to the Royal Family since Prince Diana’s interview on Panorama with Martin Bashir.