The argument prompted William to ask for Harry and Meghan to move from the joint office they shared.
Families can get overbearing at times, which could sometimes lead to arguments; the British Royal Family is no exception to this. The infamous "royal rift" between brothers Prince William and Prine Harry came to light in 2019, when British bestselling author Katie Nicholl revealed that the older brother was skeptical of his younger sibling's whirlwind romance with former actor Meghan Markle, per Fox News.
"William was quite concerned that the relationship had moved so quickly," Nicholl claimed in the TLC documentary Kate V. Meghan: Princesses at War? "And being close to Harry, you know, probably the only person close enough to say to Harry, ‘This seems to be moving quickly. Are you sure?’ And I think what was meant as well intended brotherly advice just riled Harry."
"Harry is hugely protective of Meghan," Nicholl continued. "He saw that as criticism, he interpreted that as his brother not really being behind this marriage, this union. And I don’t think things have been quite right ever since."
According to PEOPLE, the two of them mended their relationship, just before the Royal wedding in May 2018. However, it only got worse months later, in October, when William learned that a senior palace aide was making bullying allegations against Meghan.
Historian Robert Lacey—who is also the official consultant on Netflix’s The Crown—updated his book Battle of Brothers: William and Harry – The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult with added chapters and new material. The royal expert also shared more details of their split in The Times. Lacey quoted a Kensington Palace staffer saying that "people felt run over" by Meghan and "didn't know how to handle" her.
Lacey states that when William confronted Harry about the alleged bullying claims, which created an unpleasant scene between the siblings. “When Harry flared up in furious defense of his wife, the elder brother persisted,” Lacey wrote. “Harry shut off his phone angrily, so William went to speak to him personally. The prince was horrified by what he had just been told about Meghan’s alleged behavior, and he wanted to hear what Harry had to say. The showdown between the brothers was fierce and bitter.”
"Harry, for his part, was equally furious that William should give credence to the accusations against Meghan, and he was fiercely combative in his wife’s defense," the excerpt read.
The argument prompted William to push for Harry and Meghan to move out of their joint office. "William threw Harry out," a friend told Lacey.
The veteran writer also claimed that Kate Middleton had been "wary of [Meghan] from the start," and that William told a friend he thought she had an "agenda," adding that the allegations he heard against his brother's wife in fall of 2018 appeared to support his initial reservations about Meghan.
Now, Lacey believes that it will take time for the strained relationship to heal. "I think it would always have happened that Meghan and Harry would live on the other side of the world," he explained. "I think Meghan and Harry will remain based in North America. Unless the brothers can find a way to reconcile, they will have to go their separate ways and keep mutual respect for each other."
References:
https://people.com/royals/prince-william-prince-harry-had-fierce-bitter-argument-meghan-markle-bullying-claims/
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/prince-william-split-his-household-from-prince-harry-after-meghan-bullying-claims-stw8fm0sh
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/prince-william-prince-harry-fierce-arguement-robert-lacey-claims-book
Cover Image Source: Photo by Tolga Akmen - WPA Pool / Getty Images
