EXCLUSIVE: How Prince William Has Always 'Bent Over Backwards' to Support Brother Harry — Until Now
Prince William has always looked out for his younger brother, but things have now changed.
Aug. 28 2025, Published 9:00 a.m. ET
Prince William has long been seen as the sibling who made sacrifices to accommodate Prince Harry, but sources tell RadarOnline.com the Prince of Wales has finally reached the point where his patience has run out.
The brothers, once inseparable following the death of their mother, Princess Diana, in 1997, are now estranged in their 40s.
Royal commentators say their relationship has been hugely damaged by Harry's departure from royal life in 2020 and the revelations in his memoir Spare.
Yet we can reveal it was not always this way. Insiders point out William, 43, often went out of his way and "bent over backwards" to support Harry, even in moments of family tension – and now feels "regretful he bothered making those efforts" and "betrayed" by his younger brother, 40.
William's Breaking Point?
William has run out of patience with his younger brother.
One palace insider claimed: "William has always bent over backwards for Harry. Time and again, he put himself in uncomfortable positions just to make things easier for his younger brother.
"But that generosity has not been repaid, and you can see why he feels exhausted by it now."
Another source claimed: "For years, William played the peacemaker. He smoothed things over when Harry clashed with the family and adjusted plans so Harry wouldn't feel sidelined.
"That came from real brotherly love, but after so many public attacks, his patience is wearing thin."
Examples of William's concessions are plentiful. In 2020, shortly after Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were stepping back as senior royals, William and his wife, Catherine, 43, opted not to join the Commonwealth Day procession at Westminster Abbey, despite being scheduled to walk alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Instead, they quietly took their seats near Harry and Markle – a symbolic gesture of solidarity.
Harry Tramples Over William
The family has been feuding since Harry walked away from royal life.
At Prince Philip's funeral in 2021, William chose not to wear military dress, even though he was entitled to.
By doing so, he ensured Harry, who had lost his honorary titles when he left royal service, was not left as the only close relative out of uniform.
And at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in 2022, William invited Harry and Markle to join him and Catherine in viewing tributes to their grandmother outside Windsor Castle. It was the first time the brothers had appeared in public together since the unveiling of their mother's statue the previous year.
Despite such grand and kind gestures, Harry has publicly savaged his brother. In his memoir, Spare, he recalled being allowed to keep his beard for his 2018 wedding – with the late Queen's approval – something William had been denied years earlier.
"After he'd come back from an assignment with Special Forces, Willy was sporting a full beard, and someone told him to be a good boy, run along and shave it. He hated the idea of me enjoying a perk he'd been denied," Harry wrote.
Harry V. William
Despite William's gestures, Harry attacked his brother in his memoir, 'Spare.'
According to Harry, the disagreement escalated.
The royal exile wrote in his autobiography about William's objection to his facial fluff: "I explained it to my brother and he… bristled? 'Not the done thing,' he said. 'Military, rules, so forth.'
"I gave him a quick history lesson. I mentioned the many royals who'd been bearded. King Edward VII. King George V. Prince Albert. More recently, Prince Michael of Kent. Helpfully, I referred him to Google Images. 'Not the same,' he said."
Harry continued: "When I informed him that his opinion didn't really matter, since I'd already gone to Granny and got the green light, he became livid. He raised his voice. 'You went to ask her!' Yes. 'And what did Granny say?'
"She said, 'Keep the beard.' 'You put her in an uncomfortable position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes.' No choice? She's the Queen! If she didn't want me to have a beard, I think she can speak for herself."
'It's Hard To See A Way Back'
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Observers say their brotherly bond is now strained and hard to repair.
Harry moaned he grew his beard as he found having it helped quell his anxiety – along with his therapy.
He added about William's objection to him wearing it on his wedding day: "He was being ridiculous, and I told him so. But he kept getting angrier and angrier.
"Finally I told him flatly and defiantly that his bearded brother was getting married soon, and he could either get on board or not. The choice was up to him."
One longtime observer said about the estranged pair: "Their relationship is defined by love and rivalry in equal measure. William always stepped up when Harry needed him.
"But the sense now is that goodwill has been exhausted – and it's hard to see a way back."
