Prince Harry "Should Have Been Prince William's Wingman," Has Become His "Hitman" Instead, Royal Expert Says

That doesn't sound good.

prince harry and prince william walking
(Image credit: Getty Images)

ICYMI, tensions are reallll high between Prince William and Prince Harry right now.

In his memoir Spare, the Duke of Sussex spent a whole lot of time airing his grievances against his older brother, the "heir" to his "spare," and describing the rivalry they have had all their lives.

While the Prince of Wales has not officially responded to any of the material in his brother's book, he is thought to be extremely upset by it all.

For one royal expert, the brothers' late mother could have prevented things from getting quite so bad.

Princess Diana would be appalled at the way things have turned out," royal correspondent Charles Rae tells Marie Claire on behalf of Spin Genie.

"However, I doubt very much that she would have allowed it to get to this level of bitterness if she was alive, particularly between her sons. She always tried to ensure that both boys were treated fairly.

"She would never allow other members of the family to show favoritism to William, as the heir to the detriment of the spare. Harry from a very young age always knew he would never be king, but Diana had hoped that Harry would be in a unique position to support his brother when he is king.

"But unfortunately, Harry, who should have been William’s wingman, has turned into his hitman."

Sounds about right, considering Harry himself described his brother as his "arch-nemesis."

For Rae, this whole situation is likely to be incredibly painful for Prince William, who—because of his role—has to keep calm and carry on.

"I think it has been and still is very difficult for William in particular to speak out, not just about the particular accusations against the Prince of Wales, but for the very fact that both William and Harry were so close," Rae says.

"I also believe William feels very betrayed by his younger brother, who may well harbor the same feelings of betrayal by his older brother."

Not good. Not good at all.

Iris Goldsztajn
Morning Editor

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.