William, Harry's 'archnemesis': these photos show it wasn't always that way

In an interview with ITV, Harry said his brother William was his 'archnemesis', adding "there has always been this competition between us". But these two brothers who seemed once very close, have completely distanced themselves both literally and figuratively from each other.

The last time they were seen together was at their grandmother’s funeral on 19th September 2022, but the two seemed to be simply indifferent to each other. As members of the congregation and the Royal family, it appeared impossible they could have sat any further away from each other. Harry is now dishing the dirt as to why.

They live on different continents and disagree about important issues in life including family, the monarchy and the media. But the brothers haven’t always been this way and once upon a time were inseparable. We take a look back at these golden moments and see when the 'red mist' and 'archnemesis' became apparent.

When they were children it was common to see them together playing. The family album was filled with images with games and smiles. The children of Princess Diana and King Charles knew happier times.

According to some chroniclers, this union between brothers was the fruit of the education of the late Diana of Wales. A loving mother, she always fought for their two children to stay close to each other.

At their mother's funeral in 1997 it was clear to see how the very young William and Harry supported each other as they mourned the loss of their mother.

"For me and my brother William, she (Diana) is simply the best mother ever," Harry says in the ITV documentary 'Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy.'

About her unexpected death, he says: "It's been a very hard thing and I think it will stay that way forever. There's not a day when William and I don't want her to be around and we wonder what kind of mother she would be now."

"I'm sure she would have been an adorable grandmother", William told the BBC about his mother. "Surely, she would have loved to be a grandmother and she would have adored the children".

"She would have been a 'nightmare' grandma," William joked. "She would probably have come at bath time, filled everything with bubbles and water all over the place and then left."

By the end of 2018, it seemed that Harry and William were becoming more removed from each other. They stopped sharing an office in Kensington. 'Hello!' said it was "a logical and natural evolution," because of the different positions each of them occupied within the house of Windsor.

In addition to all this, Harry and Meghan moved away from Kensington Palace, where his brother William, Kate Middleton and their children also lived. "While Harry was single, he felt great living with his brother and sister-in-law," the Queen's former press chief said. "But now that he's married, he needs his own home to be with his wife."

The couple moved to Frogmore Cottage, a complex in which five separate zones were "reconverted" into a single residence for Harry and Meghan. The remodeling cost 2.4 million pounds in "public funds" (about 3 million dollars) according to the BBC.

What some media saw as a simple search for "comfort" for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, having become first-time parents, others described the move as an example of the (supposed) bad relationship between the brothers.

The brothers' partners, Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, may have played a part in their distancing. After getting married, the brothers were not each other's main go to point anymore. Instead, they had their wives to confide in.

2019 was the year in which the British royal family seemed to fall apart. In October of that year, Prince Harry spoke about the troubled relationship with his brother William for the first time. It was in a documentary for the British broadcaster ITV.

He said they were "on different paths right now," and added: "I will always be here for him, just as I know he will be here for me. But we don't see each other as much as we used to."

In the same controversial interview, Harry had said that most rumors about him and his brother were "created out of nothing." He had added: "Like most brothers, you have good days and bad days. But I love him very much." This photo from the past speaks volumes.

The never ending harassment by media and the perceived lack of support from William, Kate, and the other family members, eventually caused Harry and Meghan to withdraw from their public duties for good.

In addition, the birth of their son Archie in May of that year had made the couple reassess their lives within the Royal House. Was this what they wanted for Archie in the future?

The discontent of Meghan and Harry in the royal family came to a point when they decided to leave their public duties and move to North America in January of 2020. The couple announced their decision to the press before letting their family know.

According to "a very good source" of Jonny Dymond, the BBC's royal correspondent, "William was furious" about his brother's remarks in the ITV interview. Another Buckingham Palace source told the BBC that "they had not seen such fury." Finally, Time reported that "the Duke of Cambridge was simply worried about his brother and hoped that Harry and his wife would be well."

In early 2020, after the 'Megxit' 'bomb,' sources surrounding the Queen and Prince William claimed that they were "disappointed" about the departure of Meghan and Harry, and also about the way in which they had announced their decision.

Yet, despite what is circulating in the press, no one can really know what happened - and still happens - behind closed doors. Many believe the damage is done for good. And many hope their brotherly relationship can redeem itself. One thing is for sure, Harry has certainly had more than William to say on the situation.