Prince William has not spoken publicly about an alleged physical confrontation with Prince Harry in 2019, but an anonymous source close to the Prince of Wales disputes the account in Harry's memoir, Spare. The Duke of Sussex reportedly failed to repair his fractured relationship with his elder brother despite returning to British soil after a six-year absence in the United States.
Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stunned the nation when they declared their intention to step back from both the UK and their duties as senior working royals in 2020. The pair relocated their family to Montecito, California, and pledged to achieve financial independence, securing lucrative contracts with Spotify and Netflix and featuring in their own documentary series, Finding Freedom, which chronicled their royal experiences.
They also participated in several high-profile interviews, with Harry releasing his tell-all memoir, Spare. Both Harry and Meghan levelled a series of explosive allegations against the Royal Family before their surprising reversal - the decision to return to Britain with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, just weeks ago, reports the Daily Star.
Return to Britain and Family Relations
Since their arrival, the youngsters have been registered at two separate schools amid security concerns surrounding the commute to the initial school selected by the family. Harry has also attended the WellChild Awards, where he delivered a poignant address, while Meghan was spotted at a local public house alongside fellow American personality and expatriate, Ellen DeGeneres.
While Prince Harry is understood to have softened relations with his father, King Charles, through several encounters during recent UK visits, the monarch and Prince William are reportedly in "complete agreement" that the duke cannot adopt a 'half in, half out' position within the monarchy. William has not reportedly reconciled with his brother since Harry's UK return, and the pair are not thought to have communicated.
The Prince of Wales and the Princess of Wales are understood to be determined to prevent any "drama" surrounding his brother's homecoming. In his biography, William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, Mirror royal editor Russell Myers examines William and Kate's private responses to Meghan and Harry's conduct, both leading up to Megxit and following their exit.
Staff Concerns and Tensions
William and Catherine had invested considerable effort in cultivating a positive, comfortable professional environment - yet in the months after Meghan and Harry's wedding, it appeared to be disintegrating with personnel departing regularly. The couple were concerned not merely about the effect Harry and Meghan were having on staff morale, but additionally how they could collaborate with the Sussexes going forwards.
A source said: "In one camp you had the people who cared, wanted those working in the household to enjoy themselves while working there, and on the other side it was something different every day. Nothing was ever good enough, there were constant complaints. It was exhausting."
Two months following the Sussexes' nuptials, William and Catherine extended an invitation to Harry and Meghan to visit their home in a bid to address tensions concerning staff treatment. Yet the pair declined to acknowledge responsibility for the exit of two of Meghan's personal assistants, or for the distressing environment that left employees reporting stress-related illness.
An insider said: "It had reached an intolerable situation for so many of them, there were a lot of issues surrounding people needing time off work, not wanting to come in or be on engagements on duty with Harry or Meghan. Everything possible was being done at all stages to help them but nothing was ever good enough."
The Alleged Physical Altercation
Harry challenged the bullying accusations in his memoir, instead claiming that Meghan had made considerable efforts to foster a positive workplace atmosphere. He said: "Despite what certain people were saying about her, I never heard her speak a bad word about anybody, or to anybody. On the contrary, I watched her redouble her efforts to spread kindness."
Nevertheless, the allegations continued and at the start of 2019, William organised a meeting with his brother at his residence to confront him directly regarding Meghan's conduct towards palace employees. This reportedly culminated in the now-notorious 'physical altercation' between the siblings during which William allegedly shoved Harry into a dog bowl.
William has never publicly addressed the incident, though sources close to the Prince of Wales have said Harry's recollection of events are 'massively overblown'. One said: "It was a cheap shot [from Harry] to present such an argument. Tensions were running very high and yes there certainly were cross words exchanged that on reflection were regrettable, but the prince [William] is adamant there was no physical violence."
