S Poddar
Prince Harry has often spoken publicly about the way tension between him and his brother, Prince William, has pulled them further apart over the years. While the world became familiar with their growing feud over the last few of years, the tension between the once close siblings seems to have been there much earlier on.
According to Harry’s memoir, Spare, there came a moment while at Eton College that really should have been the one that made the Duke of Sussex feel confused and hurt. In September 1998, Harry joined the prestigious school where his brother was already studying, and he expected to be much closer again with William. Instead of a warm reception, Harry got a remark which really stung him.
Harry’s anticipation of being reunited at last with his big brother was all but brief. His brother’s words did not contain the comforting or encouraging overtures Harry was looking for; if anything, William’s comment felt like a diss, which left Harry rejected at a pretty critical point in his young life.
Harry remembered the incident in his book and painted a vivid picture of what that moment did to him emotionally. Only one of the many drive-thru meetings that had happened over the years at Eton, driving a wedge between them. Harry says that though he attempted to make amends with William like they had been as siblings, the reaction from his brother said otherwise.
Harry discussed with Anderson Cooper this sad moment in an interview he did for 60 Minutes. He said that was the same coldness he had experienced from William over the years, which was the same coldness that happened when they were at Eton-a time he considers marked the beginning of changes in their relationship that only continued to escalate with age.
This wasn’t the first Harry had spoken about the emotional tension between them. Over the years, the brothers have signaled the demands of being a royal-and how that has pulled them apart. But still, Harry’s story about feeling rebuffed by William during their school days resonated particularly strongly because it underlined just how young their relationship started to fracture.
Anticipation and pressure always surround sibling relationships, but for those in the media spotlight, there is even more added to that. The royal brothers had these pressures further magnified by undertaking roles within the monarchy, where every move was scrutinized by the public eye. Harry’s memoir details personal experiences behind headlines that expose deeply emotional pain with complex dynamics.
Although William has kept pretty mum about most of his brother’s bombshells, anecdotes in Spare make evident the complex nature of their relationship. Once inseparable brothers bound together with the tragedy of their mother, Princess Diana, they are today commonly seen standing on opposite ends, feelings of hurt and years of misunderstandings seemingly relieving them of their once cherished companionship.
Harry’s memoir and interviews seem to be a request for understanding and healing, but they also signal that the deep pain he carried from moments like that at Eton remains unresolved. The more he tells his story, the public wonders whether time and reflection will someday salve the rift between the two brothers.
Though he writes of pain in the book, Harry has spoken highly about how much he loves his brother. Sibling relationships can be complex, and in those instances where they are lived under the microscope that is public life, they are not so easily settled. Still, Harry’s openness about his feelings suggests a hope for reconciliation, even if that hope is circumscribed by the reality of their estrangement today.
The contrasts between Prince William and Prince Harry do remain of much interest to many as the public watches and waits if the two can find their path back to each other. For now, Harry’s words bring into view poignantly how even the closest relationships can be destroyed by fame, duty, and family expectations.
Although it could have been one of many moments in the breakdown of the brothers’ relationship, it is the brutal comment from Prince William at Eton that stands out as a key memory for Harry to share with the world. With any luck, as both brothers continue to move forward in their respective lives, maybe one day they will be able to repair the bond once seemingly unbreakable between them.
