For years, brothers Prince Harry and Prince William seemed to have a close bond in the public eye. However, the reality of their complicated relationship is discussed in great detail in Harry's "Spare" memoir.
The eye-opening book, which was released on 10 Jan. following several leaks to the press, reveals several bombshell revelations about Harry and William, including what Harry writes was a physical altercation between the two during an argument about Harry's wife, Meghan Markle. In multiple interviews, Harry has divulged more details about their ever-growing rift, which, contrary to popular belief, began shortly after the two brothers' mother, Princess Diana, died on 31 Aug., 1997.
During Harry's "60 Minutes" interview with Anderson Cooper on 8 Jan., he revealed that he and his brother basically lived separate lives after their mum died, recounting the time when William told him to pretend they didn't know each other when they started attending the same school. "At the time, it hurt. I couldn't make sense of it," Harry said. "I was like, 'What do you mean? We're now at the same school. Like, I haven't seen you for ages, now we get to hang out together.' He's like, 'No, no, no, when we're at school, we don't know each other.' And I took that personally."
Though they've slowly drifted apart in recent years, Harry and William have come together for some family and formal gatherings — like their wedding days, Prince Philip's funeral, and the funeral of their grandmother Queen Elizabeth II — and to mourn their mother's death on anniversaries. In 2017, during a Heads Together campaign promoting mental health, William said, "We have been brought closer as a result of the circumstances. We are uniquely bonded because of what we've been through."
William and Harry were both in attendance for King Charles III's coronation on 6 May. Ahead of the event, People reported that "things are strained" between the brothers. In a story published on 20 April, a palace insider told the publication that there reportedly had been no communication between them leading up to their father's coronation. "I don't think the coronation and a big conversation can be conflated," the source said. Reps for both Harry and William did not immediately respond to POPSUGAR's requests for comment.
Ahead, take a look at photos of Harry and William over the years.