A former royal butler has claimed that Prince Harry's feelings of being "the spare" and the ensuing sibling rivalry with Prince William may have been triggered by a simple childhood incident involving food. Paul Burrell, who served Princess Diana for a decade, said a nanny favoured William during their early years.
Speaking on Channel 5's documentary The Palace: What the Royal Servants Saw, Burrell recalled the moment: "I heard one of the nannies say to William, 'I'm going to give you three sausages, William. You need to grow big and strong, because you're going to be king one day'." He added that young Harry's face showed his reaction: "Why did you get three sausages and I got two?"
Burrell, who started royal service as a footman at 18, said he witnessed the dynamic between the brothers at a polo match in their early 20s, noting that "Harry always felt he was in second place." However, former royal protection officer Ken Wharfe described Harry as "the joker" and said people liked him, while royal biographer Robert Jobson suggested Harry had a complex character, struggling with the idea of service and a public role.
The rift between the brothers widened after Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California, followed by their explosive Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021, a Netflix documentary in 2022, and Harry's memoir Spare in 2023. During a visit to London in early September, Harry met his father King Charles, but there was no indication of a meeting with William. Harry himself admitted in a BBC interview in May: "Some members of my family may never forgive me."
A US-based source said reconciliation between Charles and Harry was "within reach", but added: "As for Harry and William, though, any chance of reconciliation between them has been rejected out of hand." The Palace: What the Royal Servants Saw airs on Channel 5 at 9pm.
