In a fresh turn of events, tensions between Prince William and Prince Harry have reportedly escalated following remarks made by the Duke of Sussex in a recent documentary. Prince William is said to be furious with his estranged brother, accusing him of using their late mother, Princess Diana, as leverage in Harry’s ongoing legal dispute with the British press. The rift between the royal siblings appears to be widening, with insiders suggesting that the latest developments have made reconciliation increasingly unlikely.
In the ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial, Prince Harry, 39, opened up about his longstanding legal battles with the British media, claiming that certain media companies engaged in illegal activities, including phone hacking. As part of the documentary, Harry alleged that there was evidence suggesting that their mother, Princess Diana, was a victim of such hacking before her tragic death in 1997.
“There’s evidence to suggest that [my mother] was being hacked in the mid-’90s, probably one of the first people to be hacked,” Harry revealed to journalist Rebecca Barry. “And yet still today, the tabloid press very much enjoys painting her as being paranoid. But she wasn’t paranoid.”
These statements have reportedly struck a nerve with Prince William, 42, who believes that Harry’s decision to involve Diana’s legacy in his legal battles is inappropriate. According to sources who spoke with New Idea Magazine, William perceives Harry’s comments as another attempt to profit from their mother’s memory, a move he views as deeply offensive and opportunistic.
“William is spitting mad that Harry would reference this again,” an anonymous source close to the situation stated. “He’s so fed up with the Sussexes cashing in on Diana’s death. Harry just won’t move on, and it appears that since marrying Meghan, the obsession with his mother has only intensified.”
The current situation is further complicated by a promise the brothers made during the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death. At that time, both William and Harry vowed not to publicly discuss their mother again to protect her legacy.
“We won’t be doing this again – we won’t speak as openly or publicly about her again, because we feel hopefully this film will provide the other side from close family friends you might not have heard before, from those who knew her best and from those who want to protect her memory and want to remind people of the person that she was,” Prince William stated during an ITV interview back then.
The recent comments by Prince Harry appear to violate this promise, adding another layer of complexity to the already strained relationship between the brothers.
The already fragile relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry has been fraught with tension since the Sussexes stepped down as senior working royals in 2020. Since then, Harry and Meghan have openly criticized the royal family in various formats, including a highly publicized interview with Oprah Winfrey, a revealing memoir, and a series of Netflix documentaries.
The decision to reintroduce Diana’s legacy into public discourse has reportedly left Prince William feeling as though he no longer recognizes his brother. The source from New Idea Magazine indicated that William had previously been open to reconciling with Harry but now feels that the Sussexes’ actions have made any potential rapprochement “impossible.”
According to the insider, Prince William’s primary concern now is the trust that has been eroded over time. “William’s getting to the point where he’s washing his hands of Harry for good,” the source claimed. The Prince of Wales reportedly believes that the more Harry engages with media narratives, the further he distances himself from the royal family.
Harry’s troubled relationship with the British press and his strained ties with the royal family were prominently featured in the Tabloids on Trial documentary, which aired in the UK on July 25. Less than two weeks after the documentary’s release, the Sussexes participated in their first joint interview since their tell-all with Oprah in 2021. This time, they appeared on CBS, where Meghan spoke candidly about her struggles with suicidal thoughts and Harry advocated for parental involvement in combating online bullying.
As the fallout from Harry’s recent comments continues, it is evident that the path to healing within the royal family remains uncertain. The rift between Prince William and Prince Harry seems only to be widening, with the latest developments highlighting deep-seated issues that may take years to resolve, if ever.
In the meantime, the eyes of the world remain fixed on the royal family, waiting to see if a resolution can be found or if the chasm between the once-close brothers will become insurmountable.
