Prince Harry and Prince William’s strained relationship has long been the subject of public discussion, but a new account sheds light on a time when the brothers were inseparable.
Grant Harrold, who worked as a royal butler for several years, revealed in his forthcoming memoir The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life of Royal Service that Harry shared a warm bond not only with William but also with Catherine, Princess of Wales.
According to The Telegraph, Harrold wrote that William and Kate often went out of their way to make Harry feel included in their lives. He recalled that “he used to go out with Kate,” explaining further, “William would be away, and Kate and Harry would be off doing stuff together.”
Harrold pushed back against the idea that Harry was often isolated within the royal household. “I think when people say, ‘Oh, he was left out,’ he really wasn’t,” he wrote. The former butler also highlighted Harry’s relationship with his then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, noting, “But also, he was with Chelsy. Chelsy was always around. And Chelsy and Kate got on really well.”
The closeness between Harry, William, and Kate was also visible to the public on major occasions. Royal biographer Katie Nicholl recalled in her 2017 book Harry: Life, Loss, and Love that Harry gave a moving speech at William and Kate’s wedding. “It was affectionate, warm, and funny, and touched William deeply,” Nicholl wrote.
“When he said the couple’s decade-long romance was his inspiration, there was a shy smile from Chelsy, while Kate shed a tear.” However, the once-tight-knit trio eventually grew apart. Harry’s marriage to Meghan Markle in 2018 marked the beginning of noticeable tension with his brother and sister-in-law.
The couple’s decision to step back from royal duties in 2020 only widened the gap. The rift deepened further with the release of Harry’s memoir Spare in 2023, where he openly criticized William and Kate and shared accounts of private family disputes. The book, along with subsequent interviews, cemented the perception of a fractured relationship between the brothers.
Still, Harrold’s recollections offer a reminder of a time when Harry’s place within William and Kate’s circle was unquestioned, and the three were viewed as a modern, unified face of the monarchy.
With tensions still apparent, royal watchers continue to speculate on whether the brothers will ever repair their relationship. For now, Harrold’s memoir underscores the depth of what has been lost in a family once known for its visible closeness.