Most people think the drama between Prince Harry and Prince William started overnight. It didn’t. According to a new royal book, the cracks began forming back in 2016 — long before Megxit, Oprah interviews, or Netflix deals. The real story behind what happens to Harry and Meghan once William takes the throne is more complicated than anyone expected. And a lot of it traces back to decisions, warnings, and disagreements that built up over nearly a decade.
William was actually happy about Meghan at first
It’s easy to look at the current state of things and assume William never liked Meghan. But that’s not what happened. According to a new biography called William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story by royal editor Russell Myers, William actually found Meghan “quite refreshing” when Harry first started dating her in 2016. A source close to the family said William was genuinely happy for his brother. He wanted the best for Harry, and Meghan clearly made him smile. So no, this wasn’t a case of instant dislike.
The source continued by saying that if Meghan had been willing to take a real chance on royal life, William would have never stood in the way. But there was one thing that made him uneasy early on — what the book calls a “clash of styles.” William reportedly saw it as a potential problem down the road. That concern turned out to be pretty accurate. Still, at the beginning, the relationship between the brothers remained solid. The trouble came later, fueled by a series of specific events that slowly pulled them apart.
William warned Harry not to rush things
Here’s where the first real friction showed up. William reportedly told Harry to slow down with Meghan. According to Myers’ book and the earlier 2020 book Finding Freedom, William said something like, “Don’t feel you need to rush this.” He also suggested Harry “take as much time as you need to get to know this girl.” That last part — calling Meghan “this girl” — reportedly offended Harry deeply. It felt dismissive. And it stuck with him.
Harry proposed to Meghan in 2017, just about a year after they started dating. That’s fast by most standards, and especially fast by royal standards. William’s warning wasn’t necessarily wrong — older brothers give that kind of advice all the time. But the way it landed clearly caused damage. From Harry’s perspective, his brother wasn’t being supportive. From William’s side, he was just looking out for family. Two people can see the same conversation very differently, and this one became a turning point neither of them could undo.
Harry’s public statement about Meghan changed everything
When news of Harry and Meghan’s relationship broke in 2016, the tabloid frenzy was intense. Harry responded by ordering a public statement through Kensington Palace, calling out racist and sexist coverage. It was a big deal. But according to Myers’ book, Harry bypassed the approval that royal communications usually require. Officials moved quickly to release the statement, and senior family members — including then-Prince Charles and William — were caught off guard.
The reaction wasn’t great. Charles and William reportedly felt that this kind of public statement should have gone through established internal processes first. Myers writes that “tense conversations” followed. Harry felt unsupported. His father and brother worried about the precedent it would set. The author describes this moment as an “outward shift” in family relations. After this, scheduling conflicts and general reluctance made it harder for the three of them to even be in the same room together. One decision, made in the heat of the moment, reportedly rewired the family dynamic.
Security became a serious point of friction
Beyond the communications drama, security was another sore spot. According to the book, Harry sought additional protection for himself and Meghan early in their relationship. He reportedly asked both his father and his brother for help. This wasn’t an unreasonable request — the couple was dealing with enormous public attention, and the safety risks were real. But the response Harry got wasn’t what he hoped for. King Charles maintained that privately influencing publicly funded protection decisions wasn’t something he could do.
William reportedly chose to stay out of it entirely. That frustrated Harry even further. From his point of view, his own family wasn’t stepping up when he needed them most. From their perspective, there were rules and limits to what could be done behind the scenes. This disagreement didn’t make headlines at the time, but it added another layer to the growing distance. Security has remained a hot-button issue for Harry to this day — he’s fought legal battles over it even after leaving the UK. It clearly mattered more to him than anyone in the family realized at the time.
Kate tried to keep the peace for years
What about Princess Kate’s role in all this? According to Myers’ biography, she actually served as a “voice of reason” for a long time. She tried to bring the brothers together and smooth things over as the relationship deteriorated. That’s a tough spot to be in — caught between your husband and his brother while the whole world watches. Kate reportedly gave Meghan a fair chance and even urged William to work on fixing the rift with Harry.
But there was a limit. After Harry and Meghan’s fairytale wedding in 2018, Kate reportedly started noticing that the couple “had an agenda.” Their behavior became more than just “difficult,” according to the book. Eventually, Kate came to the conclusion that she “could do no more to bring the brothers together.” That’s a pretty powerful statement from someone who spent years trying. It shows that the problems weren’t just between Harry and William — they were between the Sussexes and the entire inner circle of the royal family.
Kate saw Megxit coming before anyone else
When Harry and Meghan announced in early 2020 that they were stepping back from royal duties, the world was stunned. But Kate apparently wasn’t. According to the new book, she believed Harry’s exit was “inevitable.” She reportedly felt that Harry would never be satisfied as a “bit-part player” in the monarchy. There were fundamental differences between Harry and William that couldn’t be papered over. Kate saw those differences clearly, and she didn’t fight to keep the Sussexes from leaving.
William, on the other hand, was reportedly more torn. He was “intensely saddened” by his brother’s decision. Despite everything, he didn’t want Harry to go. But Kate had already accepted the reality of the situation. She had watched the tension build for years, tried her best to help, and eventually concluded it was a losing battle. Sometimes the person standing slightly outside a conflict can see its ending long before the people right in the middle of it. Kate was that person, and she was right.
The Oprah interview destroyed whatever trust remained
If there was one moment that seemed to shut the door for good, it was the 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview. Harry and Meghan made serious allegations about the royal family on live television, watched by tens of millions of people. After that interview aired, Kate reportedly concluded that the Sussexes were “not to be trusted.” That’s a pretty final judgment from a woman who had spent years playing peacemaker.
The Oprah sit-down included claims about racism within the family and a lack of mental health support for Meghan. Whether those claims were fair or not depends on who’s telling the story. But for the people inside the palace, the interview felt like a betrayal. It made private family matters very public in a way that couldn’t be walked back. For William and Kate, the trust was gone. And without trust, there’s really nothing left to build on — especially when one side is living in California and the other is preparing to run the entire monarchy.
William offered love but felt he lost his brother
Despite all the conflict, the new biography paints a picture of William as someone who genuinely grieved the loss of his relationship with Harry. The book describes his “deep concern” for his younger brother and suggests William offered Harry “love and support” even as things fell apart. The two used to be inseparable — they walked behind their mother’s coffin together, leaned on each other through some of the hardest moments imaginable. So for William, this wasn’t just a professional disagreement. It was deeply personal and painful.
Harry himself acknowledged the distance in 2019, publicly saying they were “on different paths.” He later called William his “beloved brother and archnemesis” in his memoir Spare. Those words tell the whole story. There’s still love there, but it’s buried under years of hurt, misunderstandings, and very public accusations. William has stayed quiet through most of it, which makes this new book so notable — it’s the first real look at his side of the story in years.
What a King William era means for the Sussexes
So what does all of this mean for when William eventually becomes king? The signs aren’t great for Harry and Meghan. William has already shown he’s willing to take a hard line on family members who damage the institution — the book reveals he pushed to have Prince Andrew banished from royal life years before it actually happened. If William was that firm with his uncle, there’s no reason to think he’d be softer with his brother, especially given the current state of things.
Kate’s position matters too. As queen consort, her views will carry real weight. And right now, those views are that the Sussexes can’t be trusted. Harry and Meghan have built a life in Montecito, California, with their two kids, Archie and Lilibet. They have media deals and charitable work. But their connection to the British monarchy — the thing that gives them much of their public profile — could become even thinner once William is in charge. The door might not be locked, but it certainly doesn’t seem wide open either.
The story of Harry, Meghan, William, and Kate is one of the most watched family dramas in modern history. It started with genuine affection and good intentions, then slowly unraveled through miscommunication, clashing expectations, and very public fallouts. With William set to one day lead the monarchy, the relationship between these two brothers will define a generation of the royal family. Whether there’s room for reconciliation remains to be seen — but right now, the distance between London and California feels like more than just miles.
