The last 18 months have torn Prince William and Harry apart, and now, royal author Robert Lacey is revealing what led to the royal brothers' "devastating breakdown." In his new book, "Battle of Brothers: William and Harry – The Friendship and the Feuds," due out in October, Lacey details "the unique and complex relationship at the heart of the royal family’s recent woes," according to a press release obtained by People.
"Raised to be the closest of brothers, the last 18 months have been a devastating breakdown of their once unbreakable bond," the book's synopsis cited by the outlet reads.
Lacey seeks to uncover the "untold reality of the brothers’ relationship" by explaining what happened when "two sons were raised for vastly different futures and showing how the seeds of damage were sown as their parents’ marriage unraveled."
The author said he was astonished to trace the brothers' drama back to previous generations.
"These two brothers — once inseparable and now separated by much more than mere distance — have been acting out the contradictions that go back into their childhoods and even before that: into their parents’ ill-fated marriage," Lacey said. "We have seen conflicts between heir and spare in every recent generation of the royal family — but nothing so profound as this."
The book will also delve into how the brother's relationship impacted their wives Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle and looks into why Harry and Markle decided to step back as senior royals and took their son to start a new life in Los Angeles.
Controversy and rumors have been swirling around Harry and Markle, and there have been multiple reports of a growing distance between the two royal brothers. British bestselling author Katie Nicholl previously said she believed things began to sour between the brothers after William expressed concerns to his brother about his whirlwind romance with Markle.
"William was quite concerned that the relationship had moved so quickly," Nicholl claimed in the TLC documentary "Kate V. Meghan: Princesses at War?," according to Fox News. "And being close to Harry, you know, probably the only person close enough to say to Harry, ‘This seems to be moving quickly. Are you sure?’ And I think what was meant as well intended brotherly advice just riled Harry."
However, Harry did not see it that way.
"Harry is hugely protective of Meghan,” Nicholl continued. “He saw that as criticism, he interpreted that as his brother not really being behind this marriage, this union. And I don’t think things have been quite right ever since."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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