Prince William Still Misses Prince Harry a Year After the Royal Exit

Royal aides say that Prince William still misses his close relationship with Prince Harry a year after the royal exit and Harry's Oprah interview.

  • Even a year after the royal exit, Prince William feels the loss of his close relationship with younger brother Prince Harry daily, royal insiders say.
  • "Once he got over the anger of how things happened, he was left with the absence of his brother," a royal aide told the UK's Sunday Times. "They shared everything about their lives, an office, a foundation, meetings together most days and there was a lot of fun along the way. He’ll miss it for ever."
  • For his part, Harry confirmed during his sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this month that his relationship with his older brother is still strained. Although Harry emphasized that he loves his brother dearly, he admitted they're on "different paths" and said "the relationship is 'space' at the moment."

Prince William still feels the loss left by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal exit, more than a year after the Sussexes' big move.

According to a new report in the UK’s Sunday Times, no matter how strained their relationship may be, William still actively misses his younger brother now that Harry and his family have relocated to California in the wake of their royal exit.

Once he got over the anger of how things happened, he was left with the absence of his brother," a royal aide, who was not named specifically, told the publication. "They shared everything about their lives, an office, a foundation, meetings together most days and there was a lot of fun along the way. He’ll miss it for ever."

Not only is William feeling lonely after Harry's exit, but sources close to the royal family told the paper that the Sussexes' royal exit has also dramatically changed what the future looks like for William, who will someday be the monarch himself.

He "definitely feels the pressure now it’s all on him — his future looks different because of his brother’s choices, it’s not easy," a friend told the Sunday Times.

The brothers' relationship has been infamously strained in recent years. When Harry was asked about the state of his relationship with William during his and Meghan Markle's sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this month, he confirmed that he and William remain distant.

"As I said before, I love William to bits. We’ve been through hell together and we have a shared experience, but we are on different paths," Harry explained. "The relationship is 'space' at the moment. And time heals all things, hopefully.

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Kayleigh Roberts
Weekend Editor

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.