Insider Claims Prince William Has Strong Feelings About Brother Prince Harry’s Memoir Spare Months After Its Release

Side-by-side from left to right: a screenshot of Prince William on BBC News and a screenshot of Prince Harry on 60 Minutes.
(Image credit: BBC and CBS)

Prince Harry’s memoir Spare came out in January, and allegedly, his relationship with Prince William is still fraught and they haven’t spoken “for a long time." There’s been a lot of speculation about the royal brothers and their feelings toward one another. However, if this source is correct, it seems like they are not in a place where they’re ready to mend their relationship. 

It appears that Prince William and Prince Harry haven’t been in contact “for some time now,” according to Katie Nicholl, a royal expert. She elaborated on why this might be the case with ET, noting that Spare, and its allegations, likely have a lot to do with it. She explained her thoughts on Prince William still being reportedly mad about the book, saying:

My royal sources say that any chance of a reconciliation really isn't ruled out, but it's certainly not going to happen anytime soon. Prince William is still incredibly upset with Harry's autobiography, which, of course, really cast William in a pretty bad light. No one's going to forget anytime soon the stories of them coming to physical blows, and William allegedly shoving Prince Harry, forcing him onto the ground where he landed onto a dog bowl.

Spare did contain stories that weren’t flattering for either prince. For example, Prince Harry opened up about the controversial Nazi uniform costume he wore to a party, and in the book, he claimed that his brother and Kate Middleton helped him decide to wear the outfit. He also alleged that they both “howled” about the costume and found it funny. This, along with other stories, didn’t depict the Royal Family in a bright light. 

The release of Spare seemingly had a negative impact on Prince William and Kate. Their popularity ratings reportedly plummeted after the book came out, though it’s worth noting that Prince Harry’s fell too. 

Prince William and Prince Harry’s relationship has been seemingly strained for years. However, according to many reports, the release of Spare made things worse, and allegedly they haven’t spoken in a long time. Nicholl noted this point, and she claimed they haven’t been in contact. She said:

They don't talk. There hasn't been any contact between them for some time now is my understanding.

Right before Spare came out, Prince Harry said he “would like to have [his] brother back.” However, according to the Duke of Sussex, the Royal Family has “shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile.” Then the book came out, and reconciliation, especially with Prince William, has seemed out of the question for months. Nicholl expressed a similar point, saying:

I'm told by several sources close to the Prince of Wales that William really just cannot find it in his heart at the moment to forgive his brother for what he's done. I think Kate, Princess of Wales, she's always always had a very close relationship with Prince Harry, but she's been left quite devastated by some of the anecdotes that Harry told in Spare that didn't cast her in a particularly good light. I think there's a great sense of betrayal. … Any chance the brothers seeing each other, I'm told, is simply not on the cards.

Prior to King Charles’ coronation, it was reported that Prince William was still upset about Spare. A source claimed it was “unclear” when the siblings would be able to work through this impasse. Then, earlier this summer, it was alleged that the princes’ relationship would need serious work to fix, with one insider hypothesizing that for them to work through their differences a “brokerage from another person,” will be needed. 

Overall, if these reports are to be believed, it sounds like Prince Harry and Prince William are not on good terms, in great part because of Spare, and they might not be for a long time. As this situation develops, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. 

Riley Utley
Weekend Editor

Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it.