Prince William Was Jealous of Prince Harry's "Lovable Rogue" Public Reputation
Prince William and Prince Harry's royal rift was a long time coming, according to royal historian and 'Battle of Brothers' author Robert Lacey.


- Prince William and Prince Harry's rift was a long time coming, according to royal historian Robert Lacey.
- Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Lacey explained that William envied his younger brother.
- "William was always sort of jealous of the lovable rogue reputation that Harry had and the affection that he generated," Lacey said.
While it's widely believed that Prince William's failure to support Prince Harry's relationship with Meghan Markle sparked the rift between the brothers, their relationship's been complicated since childhood, according to royal historian Robert Lacey. William envied his younger brother's public reputation, the Battle of Brothers author told Entertainment Tonight, and struggled with the pressure of being heir to the throne.
"I talked to Ken Wolf, who was the bodyguard to Harry and William when they were little boys," Lacey said. "And he said how William was always sort of jealous of the lovable rogue reputation that Harry had and the affection that he generated. And there is certainly a school of thought that William and [his wife] Kate were not happy at the way in which these royal rock stars, Harry and Meghan, overshadowed them, and that they're quite happy now to have seen them out of the country."
"There is a school of thought that it suits William very well for Harry and Meghan to be the scapegoats living abroad," Lacey continued.
Reflecting on the brothers' childhood, Lacey said William felt "very protective" towards Harry. "He'd had the same impulse towards his mother as things got bad for her. His was the shoulder that she cried on. But there's a sense also of course that this robbed him of his youth and I think the responsibility he had for Harry also robbed him of the, you know, carefree nature of his childhood. That is why we are told he—until last year—he certainly hadn't told his own son, Prince George, that he was going to be king one day. William felt that that was something that'd been a burden too much for him as a child and he didn't want that for his own son."
Asked whether William and Harry would ever reunite in a royal capacity, Lacey was doubtful. "I think we're gonna have to face the reality that these are two brothers that have drawn two different lessons from their troubled childhoods and they're going in different directions," he said. "I think the best we can hope for is that they can maintain their fundamental love and respect for each other and remain [on] good terms for the future."
RELATED STORIES
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.
-
Royal Family Is Open to "Scrutiny" as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Former Home Sits Unused
Property expert Robin Edwards tells 'Marie Claire' that there's multiple options for the historic home.
-
Emily Ratajkowski Is Single-Handedly Bringing Back Audrey Hepburn's Favorite Summer Hair Accessory
A vintage-inspired dream.
-
Nordstrom’s $49 Linen Pants Look Triple the Price
Snag them on sale at Nordstrom right now.
-
Royal Family Is Open to "Public Scrutiny" as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Former Home, Frogmore Cottage, Sits Unused
Property expert Robin Edwards tells 'Marie Claire' that there's multiple options for the historic home.
-
Prince William Is Planning This "Radical Departure" From King Charles and Queen Elizabeth When He Becomes King, Per Palace Insider
He wants to "move away" from one particular type of royal tradition.
-
Prince William Says Indecisive Prince Louis Has "5 Different" Favorites When It Comes to One Royal Passion
It's a big choice for a little prince.
-
Prince William Reveals Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis Can Be Bribed With This "Currency"
The royals received some adorable gifts at a Buckingham Palace garden party.
-
Prince William and Princess Kate's Garden Party Guests Give Major Clue as to Who Will Be Their "Rock" When He Becomes King
Royal squad, assemble.
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding Photographer Reveals Unseen Photo—and How He Wrangled the Royal Kids
Somebody had to call in the bribes.
-
Prince William and Princess Kate are "Careful Not to Overwhelm" Prince George as They Prepare Him to be King
"I think what they're trying to achieve is that he's relaxed in that sort of situation."
-
How King Charles Became Richer Than His Mother Queen Elizabeth II Ever Was
The King added approximately $40 million to his personal wealth in the past year alone.