Royal rift? What's really going on between William and Harry?

Once brothers in arms, now seemingly very much at arms' length. Photo / Getty Images

Rumours are ablaze of a rift between Prince William and Prince Harry, with royal experts claiming sparks have been flying, however subtly, for a long time.

The two brothers have been following their own separate paths since adulthood, with Prince William preparing to take the throne as future king while newlywed Harry continues to live slightly more on the royal sideline, as the "spare".

At their latest public appearance together, alongside the Queen at an Easter service at St George's Chapel Windsor on Sunday, which also marked the monarch's 93rd birthday, they looked decidedly strained.

At the same time, rumours have began to swirl that Harry and his wife Meghan are preparing to move abroad, potentially to Africa, after the birth of their first child, who is due any day now.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also reportedly ruffled some feathers with the creation of their @RoyalSussex Instagram account.

Eagle-eyed royalists noticed Harry posted seven previously unseen wildlife photographs just a few hours before William and Kate published the new photos marking Prince Louis' first birthday last Tuesday.

Many are taking these instances as episodes of oneupmanship between the two royal siblings.

It was never any secret that the late Princess Diana was very aware of the distinction between the two and she lavished attention on Harry to ensure he did not feel overshadowed by his brother, who would one day be king.

She revealed at the time she thought some in the family paid extra attention to William.

"I have to," she once told a friend. "Charles and I worked so hard to ensure both boys receive equal amounts of our time and love; others in the family seem to concentrate on William."

Harry reportedly noticed the favouritism too. As a child, he reportedly complained to his mother "it's not fair" that William was "made a fuss over" in the family.

Decades later, he seems to still see it.

"Harry has always complained about being sidelined by William, but now I think they see this split as an opportunity to really spread their wings," a source close to both princes recently told The Daily Telegraph in the UK.

"There is a sense that sometimes the Sussexes think the world is against them," the same source added.

The move overseas could be a likely next step for the newlyweds.

As president and vice-president of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, the Sussexes could take their role abroad, in a bid to harness their power to make worldwide changes.

"In the old days the Queen would have put her foot down. But at her age, and with the Duke of Edinburgh now retired from public life, they haven't really got the energy to put up a fight," an insider told The Telegraph.

"In the end this is what the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex want - they commissioned the work and something for them to work through with Buckingham Palace and Clarence House [Prince Charles's office]," a source close to the Cambridges said.

"Although William will have views, he is not the decision-maker."

Regardless, this potential secondment of Harry and Meghan increases the pressure on William and Kate to "step up", while they continue to juggle public and family life with three young children.

This pressure is made worse by the fact that William has been filling in for the Queen more and more, like this week, as he flies to New Zealand to represent the monarch at meetings with those affected by the Christchurch terror attacks.