While there have been rumours of a royal feud between Prince Harry, Prince William and their wives for months, nothing has ever been confirmed — until last week, that is, when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were stepping down as senior members of the royal family.
Since then, the situation has begun to spiral leading the Queen to call a crisis summit at Sandringham and Prince William to break his silence, saying, according to a friend quoted in The Sunday Times, ‘I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can’t do that anymore; we’re separate entities. I’m sad about that. All we can do, and all I can do is try and support them and hope that the time comes when we’re all singing from the same page. I want everyone to play on the team.’
Then, just when you thought things couldn’t get any more dire between the brothers, The Times reported that Meghan and Harry felt forced to step back due to William’s ‘bullying,’ which led to a joint statement from the princes that said, ‘Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a UK newspaper today speculating about the relationship between the Duke of Sussex and the the Duke of Cambridge. For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful.'
And while the whole situation is completely heart-breaking, I think we can all agree the most disappointing element is the break-down of the close relationship between the brothers who have supported each other though everything — including the tragic death of their mother. So while the senior royals meet in Sandringham to try to sort this mess out, we take a look back at Prince William and Prince Harry’s brotherhood in pictures.
From their very first royal tour to being each other’s best man, here’s the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge’s brotherhood in pictures.
Prince William and Prince Harry in Pictures - Grazia
1 of 29September 1984
While Harry might not technically be seen in this photo, this picture shows big brother Prince William leaving St Mary's Hospital after visiting his newborn brother, Prince Harry, for the very first time.
2 of 29December 1984
In this photo from December 1984, little Prince William keeps the royal family entertained while they pose for an official portrait at Prince Harry's Christening.
3 of 29May 1985
The little princes are held by their parents, Diana Princess of Wales and Charles Prince of Wales, on the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia during their very first royal tour in Italy.
4 of 29October 1985
William and Harry play the piano with their mother, Princess Diana, at home in Kensington Palace.
5 of 29October 1985
The brothers play together on a rocking horse in their playroom at Kensington Palace.
6 of 29July 1986
Cuteness overload: Will and Harry pose together on the steps of Highgrove House in army uniforms.
7 of 29June 1987
The princes are pictured with their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, in the Royal Box at Guards Polo Club in Windsor.
8 of 29June 1987
An older brother is always there to hold an umbrella over you, as Prince William demonstrated in this picture from the Cirencester Polo Club.
9 of 29September 1987
Prince William, along with his parents, drop off Prince Harry for his first day of nursery school in Notting Hill, London.
10 of 29September 1989
Prince William aces his big-brother duties by accompanying Prince Harry to his first day of school at Wetherby School. Bet the little prince felt better with his big brother by his side.
11 of 29October 1991
Harry and William wave to the cameras in matching double-denim outfits while on a royal tour in Canada.
12 of 29April 1993
Princess Diana and her sons smile while soaking wet during a visit to Thorpe Park in 1993.
13 of 29September 1997
The two brothers gesture after arriving to Kensington Palace to view the flowers and mementos left in memory of their mother following her death.
14 of 29September 1997
Prince William and Prince Harry stand alongside their uncle Earl Spencer and their father the Prince of Wales during the funeral of their mother, Princess Diana.
15 of 29April 2000
The brothers enjoy a skiing holiday with their father in Klosters, Switzerland.
16 of 29June 2002
The two boys stand together after watching the parade to mark their grandmother The Queen's Golden Jubilee.
17 of 29June 2003
Prince William and Prince Harry wait together to receive their prices at the end of the Calcot Manor Hotel polo cup.
18 of 29May 2007
The brothers look rather sharp in suits and traditional bowel hats complete with umbrella as they attend the Combined Cavalry Old Comrades Association parade in Hyde Park.
19 of 29June 2009
Prince William and Prince Harry pose in front of a Squirrel AS350 and a Griffin helicopter during a photocell in Shrewsbury while both boys were on helicopter training courses at RAF Shrewsbury.
20 of 29June 2010
Prince Harry teases his older brother with an African rock python at the Mokolodi Education Centre in Botswana during a royal tour to Southern Africa.
21 of 29April 2011
Prince Harry fulfils his duties as Best Man to his brother as the two arrive at Westminster Cathedral for Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton.
22 of 29April 2013
Prince Harry, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge raise their wands while visiting the set of the Harry Potter films.
23 of 29September 2014
The brothers attend a Drumhead Service before watching the Invictus Games in 2014.
24 of 29April 2016
Prince Harry and Prince William spar against each other with light sabres while touring the Star Wars sets at Pinewood Studios.
25 of 29May 2016
The princes compete in day two of the Audi Polo Challenge at Coworth Park.
26 of 29February 2017
Kate, Will and Harry race against each other while promoting their charity, Heads Together, at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Our money's on Harry.
27 of 29December 2017
The brothers, along with the Duchess of Cambridge and the future-Duchess of Sussex, attend the Christmas service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham. It is the first time that the four are photographed together.
28 of 29May 2018
Prince William begins his Best Man duties by accompanying his brother to greet well-wishers outside in Windsor ahead of Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle.
29 of 29May 2018
The brothers stand side-by-side as Prince Harry prepares to marry Meghan Markle.
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