Royal fans have pointed out that Prince William has made huge gestures to support his younger brother. Commentating on social media, one person noted, “Prince William has always been the bigger man, in every situation, for his entire life.” Another shared, “William has always been the bigger person and the appeaser.”
One key occasion includes the Commonwealth Games, just after harry and wife Meghan made their decision public that they would be stepping back from the royal family. Seemingly in a show of solidarity to his younger brother, William and wife Kate chose not to be part of the royal procession at the event and instead were shown to their seats alongside Harry and Meghan.
Another moment where William appeared to stand in support of his younger brother includes Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021. Harry was no longer permitted to wear his military uniform due to no longer being a senior royal, and instead wore a dark suit. Whilst William could have worn his full military attire, he chose not to and instead matched Harry with a dark suit to mourn his grandfather.
A third incident where Harry and William were joined in a united front came for the funeral of their grandmother Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. Ahead of the occasion, it is understood that Prince William invited his younger brother to join him to view tributes left to their grandmother, marking their first public appearance together since the unveiling of a statue of their mother, Princess Diana in July 2021.
However, there have still been tense moments between the pair, with harry pointing out in his 2023 memoir Spare that William was often left annoyed that his little brother got away with more than he did.
One example being that for Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018, Harry was allowed to keep his beard when William had been denied it for his own wedding. In Spare, Harry explained how the Queen had granted him permission to have his beard, which didn’t sit well with William.
Harry wrote, “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.
“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.”