Late princess feared her younger son would be overshadowed, a concern William once shared
Prince William’s relationship with his brother remains tense, despite King Charles’ efforts to mediate peace. The two have been estranged for three years, yet their bond with their late mother, Princess Diana, still connects them.
Once inseparable, William was fiercely protective of his younger sibling. But as they marked another anniversary of Diana’s death in their own ways, the future king was met with a painful reminder of the past.
Harry has spoken openly about feeling neglected within the royal family, particularly in his memoir Spare, where he accused William of being favoured by both the Palace and the press. Diana, however, had long shared those concerns.
According to royal biographer Andrew Morton, William once confided in his mother that he worried Harry was being overshadowed. The Palace had struck an agreement with the press to provide limited access, but William feared the arrangement left his brother in the background.
Morton recalled how Diana was reflecting on that very conversation, while at the Ritz, just hours before the car crash in Paris that claimed her life in August 1997. The two never had the chance to discuss it again.
For Harry, those feelings of being sidelined never truly faded, fuelling the distance between the brothers. Yet Diana always wanted her sons to look out for each other. As Harry tentatively extends an olive branch to his father and brother, William may now face the difficult question of whether to let go of anger in honour of his mother’s wish for unity.
