One of the most shocking revelations from Prince Harry's memoir Spare was of a physical altercation between the Duke of Sussex and Prince of Wales.
In the book, Harry claimed that his brother pushed him down to the floor while they were both in Nottingham Cottage, which is on the grounds of Kensington Palace. He also said that William had several choice words for Harry's wife, Meghan Markle.
William is said to have called Meghan "difficult," "rude," and "abrasive" before he and Harry came to blows.
Describing their clash, Harry wrote: "It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dogs' bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out," the Duke recounted.
The Duke also claimed that the altercation left him with physical injuries to his back.
Harry also alleged that William urged him to hit back, but he refused. He said William told him not to tell Meghan about the confrontation and told him, "I didn't attack you, Harold." Harry wrote that the Duchess of Sussex "wasn't that surprised, and wasn't all that angry… she was terribly sad" when he told her about what had happened.
Prince William and Prince Harry's strained relationship
While William and Harry used to be incredibly close, their relationship has become strained over recent years. Although Harry appears to be mending bridges with his father, King Charles, the relationship between him and his older brother remains fraught.
Harry was the first to acknowledge the feud, telling Tom Bradby in 2019 they were "on different paths at the moment". He noted at the time: "I will always be there for him as I know he will always be there for me. We don't see each other as much as we used to because we are so busy but I love him dearly."
© Getty ImagesLess than a year after Harry and Meghan officially stepped back from royal duties, the Duke spoke about his and William's relationship, revealing to Oprah Winfrey that there was "space at the moment".
"I love William to bits. He's my brother," Harry said during the sit-down interview. "We've been through hell together. I mean, we have a shared experience. But we, you know, we're on different paths."
© GettyThings have gotten worse since then, and in 2023, Harry described William as his "arch-nemesis" in Spare. During a 2026 episode of HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast, royal author Russell Myers remarked that Harry and William's relationship "couldn't be worse".
"Everything I'm told about that relationship is that it couldn't be worse," Russell told our hosts, adding that "it's done". However, Russell then noted: "Maybe there is a time in the future."
