Prince Harry has faced unique challenges growing up as a member of royalty, different than those who have faced his brother.
With Prince William always destined to be king with a clearly defined path to the throne, Harry has had to find a different way in life.
The children’s mother, Princess Diana, was well aware that she wanted the palace to treat them both equally.
Both Diana and Prince Charles were very insistent that Harry be given every opportunity given to his older brother.
But there were more high-ranking members of the royal family who did not believe that they should be treated in the same way.
(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
Channel 5 documentary Prince Harry: The Troubled Prince explores the divisions that existed between royalty during children’s childhood.
“Prince Charles shared Diana’s concerns about making sure children shared things in their early years,” explains journalist Richard Kay.
“But surely the oldest members of the royal family in private said, ‘This is pointless. William is the future. All our efforts must go to educate William.’
“It was William the Queen who would invite to reign classes when he was at Eton and she was at Windsor Castle.”
(Image: Press Association)
In addition to spending more time alone with his grandmother, William also shared a much closer bond with the Queen Mother.
Harry was drastically treated differently from his brother by his great-grandmother, who had a much more personal relationship with William.
“He was always less than his brother,” admits real biographer Angela Lewin.
“The late Queen Mother always invited Prince William to tea and spoke to her about her future and did not invite Prince Harry.”
Richard Kay adds: “The Queen Mother always made sure that Prince William was sitting in a prominent seat next to her and Harry never was.”
(Image: PA)
So it will be surprising to hear that the Queen Mother left Harry more money when he died in 2002.
He left approximately £ 14m of his estate to his great-grandchildren, but Harry reportedly kept more.
The decision was not reduced to personal preferences, but William would benefit financially from becoming King.
Thus, the Queen Mother made up for it by leaving more of her wealth to Harry.
(Image: Channel 5)
Prince Harry faced very unique challenges as a royal youth, which were very different from what his older brother experienced.
“On paper, Prince Harry’s start in life was incredibly privileged and fortunate,” says broadcaster Daisy McAndrew.
“But in reality, being born as the younger brother of the future King of England is a very difficult position to be born. They are known as the disgusting.”
While the young princes were aware of their unequal positions, their parents wanted to raise them in the same way.
(Image: Tim Graham / Getty Images)
“I think being the replacement for the heir is a role that has inherent problems,” says Katie Nicholl, royal correspondent at Vanity Fair.
“The role of Prince William has always been defined. What he is going to do has always been clearly outlined.
“Harry, as historically spared in the royal family, has had to find a role for himself.”
The couple was like two peas in a pod as they grew up and would do anything for each other, but their positions in the family caused divisions.
(Image: Channel 5)
Even at the age of four, Harry launched a shocking outburst at his brother.
The troubling omen of their complicated future relationship begins to demonstrate the inner confusion Harry faced when he was a very young child.
The family was traveling from London to Gloucester for a weekend more than thirty years ago, when the two boys started fighting.
The incident was heard by Ken Wharfe, a longtime royal protection officer, who was appalled at what he heard.
(Image: Channel 5)
Ken says: “Diana would always take the two boys to High Grove in Gloucestershire.
“On this particular occasion, Diana was driving, I was sitting in the front, William and Harry in the back.
“They clearly got off to a bad start because they were arguing before we left.”
The young princes’ babysitter had to be a referee while the boys argued in the back seats of the car.
Ken explains, “Harry out of nowhere said, ‘William, one day you will be king, I won’t, it doesn’t matter, so I can do whatever I want.'”
(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
Princess Diana was said to be surprised by the comment and asked where Harry got it from.
Delving into the meaning behind the controversial comment, Richard Kay admits that there are two very different ways of looking at it.
He says, “You can take that comment in two ways. It can indicate envy if you like William to have this great future as king.
“But there is also an element of: ‘I am free, I am going to choose my own role in life.'”
(Image: Getty Images)
The documentary also looks at how the public collapse of Harry’s parents’ marriage affected him.
Charles and Diana separated in 1992, with details of their marital difficulties and matters that were broadcast in public.
Harry found it difficult to be shared between parents without a permanent home, living in Kensington Palace with Diana, then Clarence and High Grove with Charles.
Angela Lewin says: “For the children to hear both parents appear on television at separate times to admit that they have affairs and to say how unhappy they were, with the two children in boarding school, can you imagine how terrible it must have been for them? Very embarrassing. Not very sure. “
The documentary examines the relationship between Harry and William, and how it was changed by the engagement of the first and subsequent marriage to Meghan Markle.
“One of the things that unquestionably had negatively affected the relationship between Harry and William, which were so close for so many years, was a series of rumors after the wedding,” says royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams.
“William expressed doubts to Harry about whether he was too fast to commit to Meghan.”
The real expert this morning, Camilla Tominey, says: “There was a brotherly discussion that I think was expressed out of concern for William, but was misinterpreted as a lack of support.
“Things were said and done before the wedding that both parties regret but caused irreparable damage.”
Katie Nicholl adds: “Clearly, there are unsolved problems and a distance between the two brothers that has never been there before.”
* Prince Harry: The Troubled Prince is available in Demand 5
.
