Author Reveals How William Shielded Harry During Charles & Diana’s Split—and the Rift Hits Harder Now
A new book claims that Prince William quietly stepped in to protect Prince Harry from the chaos of King Charles and Princess Diana’s split.
The relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry might not be on the best of terms today, but it was not always like this. According to Russel Myers' new book, William and Catherine: The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story, it was revealed that William was protective of Harry during their parents’ messy split. The author wrote, “The brothers already shared a deep bond, with William forging the protective instincts he would display for decades. As an understanding of the slow death of their parents’ relationship crept up on them, William made sure he was always accessible to Harry.”
Myers did a breakdown of the gradual collapse of King Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage in his new book and how it affected the two young princes. What started like the royal dream wedding in 1981 began to show its cracks not long after. Those tensions eventually led to a formal separation in 1992 and a finalized divorce in 1996. The situation became even more painful with the sudden passing of Diana in the 1997 Paris car crash.
According to Myers, the brothers were incredibly close while growing up due to their shared experiences in the royal household. Their bond was shaped by everything they went through together as they grew up under constant public scrutiny. On top of that, they were also dealing with the messy collapse of their parents' marriage. This is probably why William was so determined to break the cycle of misery and not repeat the same mistakes as his parents.
It is to be noted that both Charles and Diana were said to be involved in extramarital relationships, which further deteriorated their marriage. However, the most talked-about relationship was, of course, between Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, who later became Queen Camilla. Even though her marriage was falling apart, Myers revealed that Diana “smothered the boys with affection.” He added, “Diana believed this sense of normalness, no matter how small the gestures, would equip these boys for what lay ahead when they became central figures within the institution.”
Andrew Morton told PEOPLE that Diana always said that she had two sons so that they could support each other during turbulent times. William would be the big brother, and Harry could support the former in the often lonely role of future king. Morton shared, “We all remember the days when Harry and William were joshing with one another, and it all seemed set for their relationship and the future — that Harry, as Diana always used to say, would be William’s wingman.” He explained the current situation as a great loss for the monarchy.
Recent reports suggest that William is annoyed with the public appearances made by Harry and Meghan Markle, especially those that critics are calling "pseudo-royal" tours. A source close to them revealed, “William is deeply irritated by what he sees as a contradiction at the heart of Harry and Meghan's actions. They have made a very public break from royal life and been openly critical of the institution, yet they continue to carry out engagements that closely resemble official duties.” Harry and Markle recently visited the Za’atari refugee camp to meet with the burn victims of Gaza and Syria in Jordan.
