WILLS AND I ARE ON DIFFERENT PATHS
Harry admits tensions with his big brother ... but insists ‘I love him dearly’
PRINCE Harry has admitted that he and his brother William are travelling on ‘different paths’ – in the first public acceptance of a rift.
In a candid interview, the Duke of Sussex acknowledged there had been deepening tensions between the pair, but insisted: ‘I love him dearly.’
His comments in an ITV documentary broadcast last night follow months of speculation about their relationship.
Palace aides had repeatedly denied reports of a rift between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – who had once been championed as the Royal Family’s ‘Fab Four’.
But asked how much of the speculation was true, Harry refused to deny a falling-out.
The 35-year-old initially laughed, then explained: ‘Part of this role, part of this job and this family being under the pressure it is under, inevitably stuff happens. But look, we are brothers, we will always be brothers. We are certainly on different paths at the moment but I will always be there for him and, as I know, he will always be there for me.’
He added: ‘We don’t see [each other] as much as we used to because we are so busy but I love him dearly and the majority of stuff is created out of nothing. As brothers, you have good days, you have bad days.’
Harry’s comments came during an emotional interview with ITV presenter Tom Bradby, a long-time friend. The hour-long documentary, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, followed the royal couple during their recent tour of Africa. His comments about William, 37, are likely to prove embarrassing for Buckingham Palace, which has sought to downplay reports of strains.
Tensions reportedly arose in the run-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding last year, with Harry apparently accusing his older brother of failing to offer support. William is also understood to have privately expressed concern about the whirlwind romance, while his wife Kate is said to have struggled to get on with Meghan.
Matters came to a head when the Sussexes decided to move out of Kensington Palace to Windsor and split their joint household. The two couples have also parted ways over their charity work, with Harry and Meghan set to launch their own royal foundation next year.
The break-up was said to be a mutual decision and one that was the result of a natural divergence as William’s role as heir to the throne evolves.
Despite the issues, the two duchesses were pictured enjoying a family day out with their children in July as they watched Harry and William take part in a polo match. Sources have said the two couples are getting on better nowadays. During the documentary, a visibly emotional Harry also described how he still struggles to deal with the ‘incredibly raw’ death of his mother Princess Diana.
The duke, whose son Archie was born in May, said that the experience had instilled an instinctive desire to ‘protect’ his new family. He said: ‘My mum taught me a certain set of values that I will always try to uphold...I will always protect my family and now I have a family to protect.’
He added: ‘Everything that she [Diana] went through and what happened to her is still incredibly raw every single day. That is not me being paranoid, that is me not wanting a repeat of the past.’
Though recorded earlier on the Africa tour, the comments will be seen as a reference to Harry’s attack on the Press on the penultimate day of the trip.
In the interview – recorded by the banks of a river in Angola – the duke added: ‘I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum.’ Harry, who has been outspoken on the need for mental health awareness, revealed that his own anxieties require ‘constant management’.
The duke also revealed how he and Meghan would like to base themselves in Africa in the future, but would struggle with the ‘judgment’.
‘As brothers, you have good days and bad days’