Battle of Brothers: William, Harry and the Inside Story of A Family in Tumult

[Sandy345]

I was not aware that Charles, Harry and/or William have ever discussed what transpired among the three of them the night Diana died. I think Harry has stated that he understood that it was a difficult for Charles to tell them.

Both Charles and Diana were imperfect parents (I don't claim perfection either). Diana leaned too much on William during the divorce and was too public in her complaints about their father. Charles was too worried that they wouldn't like him if he provided unpopular guidance when they were in their teens.

For the most part, both men are doing well. William has a beautiful family, he works hard and wants to help others. People may not like the path Harry has taken but, by all accounts, he is not mean spirited or abusive, he is a devoted family man, and he is also interested in helping others. He's not perfect, none of us are.

As for Harry he and Meghan wanted a different way of life for a variety of reasons. He also is not the first one in the family to work on his own business. His Uncle Edward ran his own production company.

I think it is hard to judge the true state of their relationship given the current crisis. None of us knows whether Harry and Meghan would have spent time in the UK - or were planning to go over for Christmas. I am hoping that the undeniable rift has healed and that the brothers and their families develop a stronger loving relationship.

To be fair,Charles admitted to his biographer he preferred another woman to his sons' mother and never loved her. And he told the world that he was involved with Camilla, forcing the PB divorce. So he contributed "drama" as well.That certainly would be not a good thing for his sons. And I think Diana's "leaning" on William has been overstated. Diana to be fair said that she told her sons that she "Papa" love each other but cannot live together anymore During her last year she and charles appeared cordial when they accompanied william to his confirmation. they even posed for pictures together with William and Harry. Diana did lean more on her friends like rosa Monckton and her true friends were there for her. she could certainly not talk to young william the same way she would talk to her friends. william was also away at school much of the time.

 

[TLLK]

I was not aware that Charles, Harry and/or William have ever discussed what transpired among the three of them the night Diana died. I think Harry has stated that he understood that it was a difficult for Charles to tell them.

Both Charles and Diana were imperfect parents (I don't claim perfection either). Diana leaned too much on William during the divorce and was too public in her complaints about their father. Charles was too worried that they wouldn't like him if he provided unpopular guidance when they were in their teens.

For the most part, both men are doing well. William has a beautiful family, he works hard and wants to help others. People may not like the path Harry has taken but, by all accounts, he is not mean spirited or abusive, he is a devoted family man, and he is also interested in helping others. He's not perfect, none of us are.

I think it is hard to judge the true state of their relationship given the current crisis. None of us knows whether Harry and Meghan would have spent time in the UK - or were planning to go over for Christmas. I am hoping that the undeniable rift has healed and that the brothers and their families develop a stronger loving relationship.

An excellent summary and I hope that the brothers' relationship will improve over time and some distance..?

 

[evolvingdoors]

I usually agree with you, but we couldn’t be farther apart on this one. Charles had a brutal, absolutely miserable time there - and frankly I’m being mild. I hardly think he got positive guidance at Gordonstoun. There’s no way Charles would ever have sent Harry there. I also think he probably wanted to try and keep the brothers together if possible -which I understand.

On the other hand, it seemed to fit Philip, Charles two brothers, and at least one nephew (didn't Peter went there?).

just because Charles didn't like it doesn't mean it might not have been good for Harry. Eton wasn't the right place for him.. he wasn't academic, he struggled.. and Gordonstoun is not nearly so tough as it was in C's day. Charles didn't seem to be able to rein Harry in, during his teenager years and possibly school might have given him structure and discipline. He claimed that he liked the army... and I think it was good for him.. but possibly learning self discipline at school would have been even better

If he'd gone to Gordonstoun we might be here discussing how Harry feels separate from his family because he was sent to a school up in the Highlands whilst William was at a school much closer to Windsor/London, even Highgrove.

Aren't there stories that William spent a lot of time in Harry's room comforting when he was finding it hard to cope with everything, especially Diana? I can't imagine it would have been looked on as a good thing to separate them at the time either by the family, the press and public (even though the last two obviously don't get a say).

Whilst Eton and Gordonstoun are worlds apart it's not like it doesn't have a 7 day a week structure and plenty of opportunity for sports and a Cadet Force for those considering the Armed Services or who would benefit from discipline. It's not like it's Beadales or another very "luvvie" relaxed school. I mean it's harder to get into trouble in London on Short Leave in the Highlands but I imagine there are still ways the students can rebel with alcohol and weed etc if that's their intent.

Also whilst Harry might benefit from structure he also left the army when it came to the "boring" parts which was part of the rules and has currently chosen a very unstructured life, apparently "the rules and regulations" were part of the problem.

That's why I said "Gordonstoun style" not necessarily the school itself, I am sure there are many other similarly like schools in the Windsor area, so Harry could have benefited from an education better suited to who he is and still remain close to the family.

Harry left the army because he was at a stage where he had to leave field duty and move to a desk job, not because of the rules.



I do sometimes wonder, and this is of course not the done thing for late 20th and 21st century, if Harry would have done better being home schooled with a few tutors in the more old school way, focusing on fighting arts, nature exploration and so on. There are new studies coming out on how beneficial home schooling can be, especially for kids who do not fit the mold in a sense.
but this is neither here nor there.

 

[Denville]

Kids are different and a school like Gordonstoun mgiht have suited Harry better but I agree, he's not academic and maybe would not have enjoyed any school all that much. But the problem with the army was that I think the structured life with a lot of activity suited him.. he didn't like the dullness fo a desk job and he walked out... and now he's out of the army has no structure and I suspect he's not really sure now waht to do with himself.

 

[Curryong]

A few days before publication of his book, Robert Lacey reveals that he has been getting hate mail from William fans and he is not optimistic about William and Harry's relationship.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/wo...s/news-story/ff08ab595202552c0b3e05d1c20dfced

 

[TLLK]

I do sometimes wonder, and this is of course not the done thing for late 20th and 21st century, if Harry would have done better being home schooled with a few tutors in the more old school way, focusing on fighting arts, nature exploration and so on. There are new studies coming out on how beneficial home schooling can be, especially for kids who do not fit the mold in a sense.
but this is neither here nor there.

An interesting suggestion evolvingdoors and honestly he'd likely naturally gravitated to a curriculum that was based upon these subjects. I'd tweek it a bit by incorporating a homeschooling network in which groups of students do meet up so that they can work together as a team which offers the necessary social interaction that children and teens do need IMVHO.

 

[Sandy345]

I don't think william was exactly flawless in this situation. I think he does share some responsibility for it. Just looking at them as a family, it is generally a bad idea to offer unsolicited advice about a sibling's personal life.Even though Harry did not "listen" supposedly, then William should have been gracious about it. He is not an older brother by many years and not the Head of the Family. If he had been more accepting, I don't think Harry and Meghan would have left. William should try to "soften" and make compromises and be diplomatic. He was not the one who had to approve the marriage. Her Majesty had to. William's glaring at Harry during the service did not help matters any. I think William could have said more than just telling Harry to wait, he might have said not so nice things about Meghan and made judgments about her. I think the closeness of the brother has been exaggerated. It is normal for siblings to move on and set up their own households and not constantly be in each other's company. Harry was very gracious to Kate when she came into the family. Two people make a feud and both have to take their share of the blame. So many average families have had this situation, where a sibling does not approve of a brother or sister's choice of spouse. It can turn out that the marriage is happy but the sibling alienated them both and has caused a rift that may be permanent. So the sibling is not invited to christenings, birthdays and so on. It can happen in any family and often does.

 

[Betsypaige]

Well, I can’t read the Australian article as I’m not a subscriber...

I’m sorry Lacey is getting hate mail; I myself loathe the kind of book he’s written, but sending hate mail is out of bounds. Criticizing is fine, but that’s it.

That said, I’ve had enough with Lacey making declarative statements that a William and Harry’s relationship is permanently ruined/damaged. He has no idea if that’s true, he just wants to sell books

 

[TLLK]

Well, I can’t read the Australian article as I’m not a subscriber...

I’m sorry Lacey is getting hate mail; I myself loathe the kind of book he’s written, but sending hate mail is out of bounds. Criticizing is fine, but that’s it.

That said, I’ve had enough with Lacey making declarative statements that a William and Harry’s relationship is permanently ruined/damaged. He has no idea if that’s true, he just wants to sell books

Good point. Unfortunately for both of the brothers, Mr. Lacey has had to resort to these types of statements to generate sales.


I also agree that Mr. Lacey should not be receiving hate mail from anyone. If you don't care for the book, don't read it or purchase it.

 

[Denville]

Well, I can’t read the Australian article as I’m not a subscriber...

I’m sorry Lacey is getting hate mail; I myself loathe the kind of book he’s written, but sending hate mail is out of bounds. Criticizing is fine, but that’s it.

That said, I’ve had enough with Lacey making declarative statements that a William and Harry’s relationship is permanently ruined/damaged. He has no idea if that’s true, he just wants to sell books

Presumably he has an opinion based on resesarch. He will have interviewed people who know the brothers...

 

[miss whirley]

I don't think william was exactly flawless in this situation. I think he does share some responsibility for it. Just looking at them as a family, it is generally a bad idea to offer unsolicited advice about a sibling's personal life.Even though Harry did not "listen" supposedly, then William should have been gracious about it. He is not an older brother by many years and not the Head of the Family. If he had been more accepting, I don't think Harry and Meghan would have left. William should try to "soften" and make compromises and be diplomatic. He was not the one who had to approve the marriage. Her Majesty had to. William's glaring at Harry during the service did not help matters any. I think William could have said more than just telling Harry to wait, he might have said not so nice things about Meghan and made judgments about her. I think the closeness of the brother has been exaggerated. It is normal for siblings to move on and set up their own households and not constantly be in each other's company. Harry was very gracious to Kate when she came into the family. Two people make a feud and both have to take their share of the blame. So many average families have had this situation, where a sibling does not approve of a brother or sister's choice of spouse. It can turn out that the marriage is happy but the sibling alienated them both and has caused a rift that may be permanent. So the sibling is not invited to christenings, birthdays and so on. It can happen in any family and often does.

Sounds like William had been willing to overlook Harry's impulsivity. Though I'm sure now he's quite happy to say "Told you so". Just the fact that Harry and Meghan stayed at their home two Christmases in a row, they had the public forum with the couple pre-marriage to appease the Sussexes, and even Sussex sources acknowledge William lobbied for H&M to get more funding and their own office since the couple wanted more autonomy. Frankly outside of physically bowing down to the couple I'm not sure what else William could have done to prop them up. They were never going to be compatible to the BRF with their commercial/political/celebrity heavy approach, and since we know Harry doesn't like or want William's advice, it's not like William could of stopped them from self-destructing.

I agree that Harry closeness to both William and Catherine has been exaggerated . I remember when they broke-up in 2007, the media reported Harry was pleased with the break-up because he wasn't keen on her. And then when they got engaged in 2010 Harry made that throw away comment about needing to get to know her, even though she'd been with his brother for 8 years. And I don't think that relationship improved much post-marriage, since just like pre-marriage Harry never attended any of Catherine birthday gatherings. And while the Cambridges would vacation with the Middletons you never saw them on vacation with Harry. So you're right that Harry has his share of the blame on that front, he was critical and hesitant about Catherine yet he was upset that William was the same about Meghan. And Harry took several years (8 plus) to give Catherine a chance at least publicly, yet William was suppose to change his misgivings in less than two years.

Will the brothers' relationship ever rebound so that they can be relaxed and jolly in each others presence? We don't know. I guess I see them growing further apart and having minimal contact outside of family holidays like Christmas. I just don't think it will be a big loss, because William has a lot of other family and friends (who I think he's always been much closer to) and Harry's personality will probably be a much more natural fit for a ruleless, back-patting Hollywood. I do feel for Charles because he'll have less access to Harry and Archie but everyone else shouldn't suffer much from any estrangement.

 

[Osipi]

Presumably he has an opinion based on resesarch. He will have interviewed people who know the brothers...

Now that reminds me of a tune that REO Speedwagon did. "Heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another you been messin' around". Lacey could interview half of the UK that "knows" William and Harry and *still* get it all wrong. Lacey is an example of "Take It On The Run".

 

[evolvingdoors]

An interesting suggestion evolvingdoors and honestly he'd likely naturally gravitated to a curriculum that was based upon these subjects. I'd tweek it a bit by incorporating a homeschooling network in which groups of students do meet up so that they can work together as a team which offers the necessary social interaction that children and teens do need IMVHO.

Oh absolutely to your suggestion, I did not think otherwise.
I do wonder if there are any aristocrats and wealthy Harry's age who were home schooled.

 

[Denville]

Now that reminds me of a tune that REO Speedwagon did. "Heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another you been messin' around". Lacey could interview half of the UK that "knows" William and Harry and *still* get it all wrong. Lacey is an example of "Take It On The Run".

I presume that Lacey has interviewed peopel who know the brothers and has at least talked to them on occasion, so while he may not know the whole story, he has a better idea than most people about what's going on wiht them.

 

[Denville]

Sounds like William had been willing to overlook Harry's impulsivity. Though I'm sure now he's quite happy to say "Told you so". Just the fact that Harry and Meghan stayed at their home two Chr

Will the brothers' relationship ever rebound so that they can be relaxed and jolly in each others presence? We don't know. I guess I see them growing further apart and having minimal contact outside of family holidays like Christmas. I just don't think it will be a big loss, because William has a lot of other family and friends (who I think he's always been much closer to) and Harry's personality will probably be a much more natural fit for ruleless, back-patting Hollywood. I do feel for Charles because he'll have less access to to Harry and Archie but everyone else shouldn't suffer much from any estrangement.

Its a loss for William who has lost not only his only brother but the one person close in age to him who was meant to be his working companion for much of his life. And the only son of his mother... who has died. I think its sad if they do lose touch but i have a feeling that they will.. if H continues in LA and with Meghan.

 

[Lee-Z]

yes, but it is better not to have a working companion when that working companion works halfheartedly and is a liability because he wants to do his own stuff which conflicts with what your joint work would need.

sometimes it's better for familymembers to not live too close...as the saying goes "absence makes the heart grow fonder"

 

[Alison H]

There actually aren't that many top-level public schools, and Gordonstoun is and always has been unusual. I think Eton was a good choice for William, who is more academic. If Diana hadn't died when Harry was close to the age for going to public school, maybe they might have chosen somewhere different for Harry, but I think it was felt that, under the circumstances, he'd be better somewhere near home and at the same school as his brother.


Homeschooling is rare in the UK now, unless there's a particular reason such as a medical condition. It would have been thought very odd if Harry hadn't gone to school. Maybe it would have worked for him, but I would doubt it was ever considered.

 

[Claire]

Personally I always felt that Diana was the main sway towards Eton, Charles even looked at Harrow as a possibility. They did shop around - their names weren't already written up at birth.

 

[miss whirley]

yes, but it is better not to have a working companion when that working companion works halfheartedly and is a liability because he wants to do his own stuff which conflicts with what your joint work would need.

sometimes it's better for familymembers to not live too close...as the saying goes "absence makes the heart grow fonder"

I agree. I think this is especially true with William and Harry. I don't think it's a coincidence that they seemed to have gotten along best in the past when they were far away from each other. The two times the media reported their relationship to be in a bad place is when they were in regular close contact, when they were both at Eton, then again when they were both full-time royals. The years that they seemed to get along best were when William was away at University, and when Harry was in the Army and William the RAF.

I see them as oil and water, two people that would have never befriended each other if they weren't brothers with a shared traumatic experience. And while incompatible siblings can often semi-avoid one another that wasn't really an option here where there is a family business (the BRF).

 

[Sandy345]

Sounds like William had been willing to overlook Harry's impulsivity. Though I'm sure now he's quite happy to say "Told you so". Just the fact that Harry and Meghan stayed at their home two Christmases in a row, they had the public forum with the couple pre-marriage to appease the Sussexes, and even Sussex sources acknowledge William lobbied for H&M to get more funding and their own office since the couple wanted more autonomy. Frankly outside of physically bowing down to the couple I'm not sure what else William could have done to prop them up. They were never going to be compatible to the BRF with their commercial/political/celebrity heavy approach, and since we know Harry doesn't like or want William's advice, it's not like William could of stopped them from self-destructing.

I agree that Harry closeness to both William and Catherine has been exaggerated . I remember when they broke-up in 2007, the media reported Harry was pleased with the break-up because he wasn't keen on her. And then when they got engaged in 2010 Harry made that throw away comment about needing to get to know her, even though she'd been with his brother for 8 years. And I don't think that relationship improved much post-marriage, since just like pre-marriage Harry never attended any of Catherine birthday gatherings. And while the Cambridges would vacation with the Middletons you never saw them on vacation with Harry. So you're right that Harry has his share of the blame on that front, he was critical and hesitant about Catherine yet he was upset that William was the same about Meghan. And Harry took several years (8 plus) to give Catherine a chance at least publicly, yet William was suppose to change his misgivings in less than two years.

Will the brothers' relationship ever rebound so that they can be relaxed and jolly in each others presence? We don't know. I guess I see them growing further apart and having minimal contact outside of family holidays like Christmas. I just don't think it will be a big loss, because William has a lot of other family and friends (who I think he's always been much closer to) and Harry's personality will probably be a much more natural fit for a ruleless, back-patting Hollywood. I do feel for Charles because he'll have less access to Harry and Archie but everyone else shouldn't suffer much from any estrangement.

I think Harry really had not gotten to know Kate that well at the time of the engagement. Both William and Harry were going in different directions and in different places. Kate and William had said she did not meet the Queen until 2008, at Peter Phillips wedding. Harry still publicly welcomed Kate to the family. Also Meghan and Harry were in their thirties when they got married. They were not "kids" anymore. Some of the vacations of William and Kate were with the Middletons and I doubt Harry was invited. He was seeing his then girlfriend Chelsy and her family in Africa, and Kate and William did not go with him. Both had their own circle and were close to their partners' families.

Kate's birthday parties were not given a lot of PR until her last birthday. It is not known what Harry did he could have sent her presents. He also was busy in the military and had a busy life.

I never heard that Harry sat William down and told him to "think about" marrying Kate.

I don't see any reason why William should tell Harry "I told you so." Harry has his family now a wife and son. And there is nothing wrong with that! Plus a lot of "normal life" was disrupted by COVID to put it mildly.

 

[Betsypaige]

Presumably he has an opinion based on resesarch. He will have interviewed people who know the brothers...

I’m sure he did interview sources, but no one has any idea as to what the future holds for W and H’s relationship; all Robert Lacey is interested in doing is publicizing his book

 

[Betsypaige]

Sounds like William had been willing to overlook Harry's impulsivity. Though I'm sure now he's quite happy to say "Told you so". Just the fact that Harry and Meghan stayed at their home two Christmases in a row, they had the public forum with the couple pre-marriage to appease the Sussexes, and even Sussex sources acknowledge William lobbied for H&M to get more funding and their own office since the couple wanted more autonomy. Frankly outside of physically bowing down to the couple I'm not sure what else William could have done to prop them up. They were never going to be compatible to the BRF with their commercial/political/celebrity heavy approach, and since we know Harry doesn't like or want William's advice, it's not like William could of stopped them from self-destructing.

I agree that Harry closeness to both William and Catherine has been exaggerated . I remember when they broke-up in 2007, the media reported Harry was pleased with the break-up because he wasn't keen on her. And then when they got engaged in 2010 Harry made that throw away comment about needing to get to know her, even though she'd been with his brother for 8 years. And I don't think that relationship improved much post-marriage, since just like pre-marriage Harry never attended any of Catherine birthday gatherings. And while the Cambridges would vacation with the Middletons you never saw them on vacation with Harry. So you're right that Harry has his share of the blame on that front, he was critical and hesitant about Catherine yet he was upset that William was the same about Meghan. And Harry took several years (8 plus) to give Catherine a chance at least publicly, yet William was suppose to change his misgivings in less than two years.

Will the brothers' relationship ever rebound so that they can be relaxed and jolly in each others presence? We don't know. I guess I see them growing further apart and having minimal contact outside of family holidays like Christmas. I just don't think it will be a big loss, because William has a lot of other family and friends (who I think he's always been much closer to) and Harry's personality will probably be a much more natural fit for a ruleless, back-patting Hollywood. I do feel for Charles because he'll have less access to Harry and Archie but everyone else shouldn't suffer much from any estrangement.

ICAM with the bolded part....

I think we just have to give William and Harry time - maybe their relationship will never be what it was, or maybe it will, or maybe it will settle into something else. It hasn’t been that long, though, and I do think time apart will help. No matter what happens, they will always love each other. I hope that it won’t take something happening with Charles again to bring them together.

Harry has chosen to separate himself from his family, not just William: he didn’t go to Sandringham last Christmas, and he turned down HM’s invitation to Balmoral this year (before quarantine, etc..). I do feel sorry for Charles that he won’t be as physically close to Harry and Archie, but I’m glad at least that he’s closer than ever to William. It seems he’s made an effort to spend more time with George, Charlotte and Louis.....I’m sure that is a great comfort to him.

 

[miss whirley]

I think Harry really had not gotten to know Kate that well at the time of the engagement. Both William and Harry were going in different directions and in different places. Kate and William had said she did not meet the Queen until 2008, at Peter Phillips wedding. Harry still publicly welcomed Kate to the family. Also Meghan and Harry were in their thirties when they got married. They were not "kids" anymore. Some of the vacations of William and Kate were with the Middletons and I doubt Harry was invited. He was seeing his then girlfriend Chelsy and her family in Africa, and Kate and William did not go with him. Both had their own circle and were close to their partners' families.

Kate's birthday parties were not given a lot of PR until her last birthday. It is not known what Harry did he could have sent her presents. He also was busy in the military and had a busy life.

I never heard that Harry sat William down and told him to "think about" marrying Kate.

I don't see any reason why William should tell Harry "I told you so." Harry has his family now a wife and son. And there is nothing wrong with that! Plus a lot of "normal life" was disrupted by COVID to put it mildly.

That's not true at all. Her birthdays have gotten a lot of media attention , more so than William's birthdays. Everytime she's had a birthday gathering (and there has been several over the years) there has been media coverage. And like I said Harry has never been pictured or reported at any of those gatherings. But he also hasn't been reported at any of William's birthday parties since 2008, so like I said any estrangement with the brothers isn't likely to affect William's personal life that much as I believe the two have already been on rather separate orbits.

 

[Denville]

yes, but it is better not to have a working companion when that working companion works halfheartedly and is a liability because he wants to do his own stuff which conflicts with what your joint work would need.

sometimes it's better for familymembers to not live too close...as the saying goes "absence makes the heart grow fonder"

Agree but if Harry had stayed, he would have been a full time working royal and would be there to support William.

 

[Denville]

There actually aren't that many top-level public schools, and Gordonstoun is and always has been unusual. I think Eton was a good choice for William, who is more academic. If Diana hadn't died when Harry was close to the age for going to public school, maybe they might have chosen somewhere different for Harry, but I think it was felt that, under the circumstances, he'd be better somewhere near home and at the same school as his brother.


Homeschooling is rare in the UK now, unless there's a particular reason such as a medical condition. It would have been thought very odd if Harry hadn't gone to school. Maybe it would have worked for him, but I would doubt it was ever considered.

yes Diana did feel that Harry wouldn't be up to Eton, but when she died, the RF were problaby worried at the idea of H being at soem other school, perhaps far away from family support, and decided on Eton where he could be close to his family and to William. I agree about Home schooling.. I doubt if it was ever considered.

 

[Denville]

I’m sure he did interview sources, but no one has any idea as to what the future holds for W and H’s relationship; all Robert Lacey is interested in doing is publicizing his sleazy book

I doont see what is sleazy about it, He may not be a serious writer but as royal writers go, he's one of the more respected ones. Of course no-one knows what the future holds but if he has been talking to H's and WIll's staff or friends and reached this conclusion, I'd say there's a possibility that it will turn out to be the right one. I dont think they'll hate each other - I hope they'll become closer again, but if H stays in LA, I think William will probably feel some resentment that he was left to carry all the burden.. and Harry will probably still feel resentment that William criticised his wife. And htey wont see enough of each other perhaps to get comfortable again...

 

[Heavs]

I doubt home schooling was ever considered because apart from anything else boarding did give both boys stability and routine after a breaking/broken marriage and both parents working, sometimes at the other end of the country or all over the world. A good housemaster (and his wife) can be particularly helpful, traditionally.

It also gave them the chance to be "just one of the boys" and make close friendships that they still had/have today. A tutor, nanny and servants don't provide that. Bea has dyslexia and did well at school and uni and seemed to enjoy it well enough.

Even before they were married Kate's birthdays used to garner massive media attention because it was always thought William might propose or a proposal might be announced. Her 25th birthday was the most infamous for that with the world's media basically camped out on her door step. Since their marriage it's been widely noted every year.

My favourite phrase when talking about siblings who get on better further apart is "they love each other better from a distance" and it applies to a lot of families. If that's the case here, maybe if things settle down on the Sussex front with time and less need to score points, they'll start communicating.

 

[Denville]

I agree, i don't think they ever considered homeschooling. Royal children need school to make friends and to have more discipline in their lives and with Will and Harry, they only had Charles who was a busy man so I think it was important that they had a disciplined life, where they would meet people who'd be their friends in later life.
I dont know how close WIll and HARry were but I think its not as close as the media sometimes gave the impression and I wuold not have siad they were so radically different that they didn't get on... I think that Will has tried to look out for his brother, but I suspect that the marriage to Meghan, esp if Meg didn't like the RF and Harry was annoyed at Will saying he shoudl take his time, is going to impact on their relationship now.

 

[Prinsara]

I'm sure William always wanted to look out for Harry after Diana died.

The question is, how often did Harry not want to be looked after? (Probably a lot, and certainly not these last several years.)

 

[Betsypaige]

I doont see what is sleazy about it, He may not be a serious writer but as royal writers go, he's one of the more respected ones. Of course no-one knows what the future holds but if he has been talking to H's and WIll's staff or friends and reached this conclusion, I'd say there's a possibility that it will turn out to be the right one. I dont think they'll hate each other - I hope they'll become closer again, but if H stays in LA, I think William will probably feel some resentment that he was left to carry all the burden.. and Harry will probably still feel resentment that William criticised his wife. And htey wont see enough of each other perhaps to get comfortable again...

My posts all over this thread pretty much explain why. Robert Lacey is a very respected historian and he’s been one of my favorite Royal go-to’s die years, but I’ve lost so much respect for him. The idea that William and Harry’s rift is as devastating as the Abdication crisis is outrageous hyperbole; from the excerpts I’ve seen of the book, it’s overheated and gossipy.

As to the brothers, none of us knows how their relationship will evolve, but I think it’s ludicrous for Lacey to act as if he knows that it’s permanently ruined ...I don’t care who he’s spoken to. We’ll just have to let it play out.