William brought in reinforcements to intervene in Harry and Meghan's relationship. Photo / Getty Images
William brought in reinforcements to intervene in Harry and Meghan's relationship. Photo / Getty Images
A new book claims Prince William enlisted the help of Charles Spencer to "slow down" Harry's relationship with Meghan.
First there was Finding Freedom and its inside look at Megxit - now a new book about Harry and William's relationship promises to reveal more about the rift between the brothers.
Battle of Brothers: William, Harry and the Inside Story of a Family in Tumult by historian Robert Lacey takes a look at the brothers' relationship over the years.
According to the Daily Mail, Lacey writes that Harry's life slipped into "total chaos" in the last two years of his twenties.
In the prince's own words, "I just didn't know what was wrong with me ... I had probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions."
William suggested Harry go into therapy, which he did. But despite that, his ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas felt he was "self-obsessed" and "damaged".
She wrote cryptically on her Instagram page, "No matter how educated, talented, rich or cool you believe you are, how you treat people ultimately tells it all."
Lacey writes that Bonas complained to friends about Harry's "neurosis" when it came to the media, saying he'd complain that there were paparazzi lurking around when there were clearly none to be seen."
He goes on to describe how former Suits star Meghan came into Harry's life in July 2016 - and that Harry sensed in her similar characteristics to his mother Princess Diana.
Her qualities were "anti-royal", including her tendency to fight for change rather than conform.
During their first summer and autumn together in 2016, Harry introduced Meghan to his family - but William didn't approve, according to Lacey.
While Kate and Meghan got along well enough, Harry and William did not. Photo / Getty Images
While Meghan and Kate got on well enough and could respect each other, the real conflict lay between the two brothers, who had never avoided telling each other exactly how they felt.
William worried that Harry's relationship with Meghan was moving too fast and didn't hold back from speaking up when Harry started to talk about marriage.
William reportedly told him "This all seems to be moving rather quickly. Are you sure?"
William himself took nearly 10 years to find and approve his own life partner and couldn't understand why Harry would rush into a serious relationship.
And Lacey revealed that when Harry refused to take William's advice, the older prince turned to his uncle Charles Spencer for backup.
The brother of their late mother Princess Diana, Charles had been like a godfather to the boys since their mother's death, writes Lacey. Now he agreed to help William intervene.
Harry was reportedly "furious" that his older brother had dragged other family members into the situation.
There would be attempts to fix the relationship between the brothers, especially for public appearances. But the distance between them had been established, and the mistrust and anger remains to the present day, writes Lacey.
