The late Queen Elizabeth treated Prince William and Prince Harry very differently when they were growing up, a royal author has claimed.
In his new book, Betrayal, which was published on Thursday, Tom Bower writes that the Duke of Sussex “misunderstood” his grandmother’s actions, despite her “genuine warmth” towards both brothers.
He alleges that the late monarch, who died in September 2022, had “carefully” nurtured Prince William to one day become King but had “correctly assessed” Harry’s “weaknesses”.
The Duke of Sussex previously documented his feelings about being the “Spare” to the throne in his 2023 biography of the same name, after stepping down as a senior royal in favour of a life in the US with his wife, Meghan Markle, and his young family.
Exploring the different treatment of ‘Heir and Spare’ in more detail, Tom Bower writes: “Harry never realised how he misunderstood his grandmother. Behind her genuine warmth, she correctly assessed Harry’s weaknesses.
“Unlike the Queen’s careful nurturing of William as a future monarch, eyewitnesses recalled that she had been ‘patronising’ towards Harry. ‘The younger brother was psychologically oppressed,’ admitted one senior Palace official disliked by Harry.”
A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan previously rebutted the claims in the book, criticising the author for his “fixation” on the couple, saying he had “crossed a line”.
Tension between the brothers
Tom Bower also claims that King Charles ignored Prince Harry’s “complaints” and danger signals before he left the royal family. In the palace, the biographer writes, Harry was also treated differently from William.
Another passage reads: “‘Don’t bother to compete against William,’ a senior Palace official advised him [Harry]. Frustrated, he found that his father ignored both his complaints and the danger signals. Until he met Meghan, Harry accepted his fate. ‘He always seemed so friendly,’ recalled one Palace official, ‘even as his role declined.’”
Prince William and Prince Harry are estranged and live thousands of miles away from each other. The once-close brothers are last known to have been in the same room for the funeral of their uncle, Lord Fellowes, in 2024, but reportedly did not sit together or converse.
The gulf between them grew following the release of Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docu-series, Harry & Meghan, in 2022, and the publishing of Spare at the start of 2023.
Denying the claims
Betrayal: Power, Deceit And The Fight For The Future Of The Royal Family explores the “split” between the Houses of Sussex and Windsor, examining the potential causes of the rift between Prince William and Prince Harry.
© GettyIt also investigates whether the “broken bonds” between Prince William and Kate, and Harry and Meghan, can ever be repaired. Other passages delve into the tense relationship between Harry and the former Prince Andrew.
In a statement issued on Saturday, 14 March, in response to the book, a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan said: “Mr Bower’s commentary has long crossed the line from criticism into fixation. This is someone who has publicly stated, ‘The monarchy in fact depends on actually obliterating the Sussexes from our state of life,’ language that speaks for itself.
“He has made a career out of constructing ever more elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met. Those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him.”
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