Prince Harry Complained About His Childhood Bedroom Being “Far Smaller, Less Luxurious” Than Older Brother Prince William’s
But still, my dude, you lived in a literal palace.
![Prince William and Prince Harry](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/P6pXVJs6hragddyMdbZC6N-415-80.jpg)
Can you feel it in the air? Today, January 10, is the one-year anniversary of the release of Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir Spare, which broke records and, some would say, further distanced Harry from the rest of the royal family.
As the book’s title portends, a large chunk of the tell-all revolves around the “heir and spare” dynamic between Harry and his older brother, Prince William. (Just in case you’re somehow unfamiliar with said dynamic, it treats the two brothers not as equals but as William as the No. 1—the heir to the throne—and Harry as less important, the “spare” in case something should God forbid happen to William. It really is a toxic dynamic, but it seems the royal family has learned from its mistakes and is not raising Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis this way.)
Harry had a lot to say in Spare—416 pages’ worth, and he said that he has enough to write a second volume of the tome—but one of his complaints and grievances? That in Kensington Palace—where the boys lived with their mother, Princess Diana—William had a bigger bedroom.
Kensington Palace
“My half of the room was far smaller, less luxurious,” Harry wrote in the book. “I never asked why. I didn’t care. But I also didn’t need to ask.”
Tension always seemed to be simmering between the brothers, and Harry noticed countless examples of preferential treatment towards William. When Harry joined William at Eton College—a prestigious all-boys boarding school that educates boys from ages 13 to 18—William wasn’t happy about him being there, Harry wrote: “For the last two years, he [William] explained, Eton had been his sanctuary,” Spare reads. “No kid brother tagging along, pestering him with questions, pushing up on his social circle. He was forging his own life, and he wasn’t willing to give it up.” At least at Eton they surely had the same size bedrooms? Just saying.
According to OK, perhaps not shockingly, William was hurt by Spare, the reverberations of which were just beginning to be felt 365 days ago as the world grabbed their respective copies. “Harry sold his family out to the media for millions of dollars, and William can’t forgive that breach of trust,” a friend said, per the outlet.
But William would only be hurt if there was (and who knows, maybe still is) love there. You’re not hurt by someone you don’t care about, and, despite brother-on-brother conflict (happens to the best of us), the two were also once close and did have good times together. “I think it’s exactly because the bond was so deep that the betrayal has been so wounding,” they said. “They were the only people who actually knew what each other had been through. How would you feel if your best friend decided to reveal all your personal secrets to the newspapers? Well, multiply that by a thousand.”
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
Zendaya Delivers a Podium-Worthy Pre-Olympics Gown
She's shining brighter than the City of Lights.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
'Love Island USA' Star Kenny Rodriguez Is Not "Playing Around" with His and JaNa Craig's Romance Outside of the Villa
The prince and princess of season 6 have remained the cutest couple since filming wrapped.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
So Many Celebrity Beauty Favorites Are in Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale
Shop Jennifer Lopez, Meghan Markle, and Kaia Gerber's beloved picks.
By Julia Marzovilla Published
-
Critics Claim Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Tried to "Upstage" Prince George
"He wants to steal the thunder with his Invictus Games announcement."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and King Charles Have the Cutest Matching Friendship Bracelets
And fans think Charlotte was responsible.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle Put “Her Own Neck On the Line” to Support Embattled Prince Harry at the ESPYs Earlier This Month
“She chose to be there for her husband.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince George Is Intentionally Being Raised Much Differently Than His Father Prince William Was, Even Though Both Are Heir to the Throne
“William still has painful memories of his own childhood and how he hated the persistent attention.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
In Naming Princess Charlotte, Prince William Poignantly Fulfilled a Long Ago Promise to His Late Mother, Princess Diana
Diana would be “over the moon” about it, her friend says.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William and Princess Kate Attending Sporting Events with Their Kids Is a “Much Needed Distraction” from Kate’s Ongoing Cancer Battle, Royal Biographer Says
“To say sports play a huge part in the lives of the royals is a massive understatement.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
After Meeting a Teenage Prince William for the First Time, Then Camilla Parker-Bowles Quipped “I Need a Gin and Tonic,” Royal Author Writes
Still largely known as “the other woman,” Camilla was “decidedly anxious” about meeting the future king.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William Was Reportedly Advised to Sign a Prenup When He Married Kate Middleton 13 Years Ago—But He Refused
Thirteen years later, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ marriage seems stronger than ever.
By Rachel Burchfield Published