Prince William ‘surprised’ by Prince Harry’s success as reunion hopes dashed

Prince Harry and Prince William’s relationship continues to be fraught and complex, with one royal commentator suggesting that the future King is “surprised” by his younger brother’s success.

The pair have barely been on speaking terms since Harry and wife Meghan Markle quit the Royal Family in 2020 and moved to the US, with the publication of Harry’s memoir Spare last year further damaging relations between them.

Despite no longer being a working royal, the Duke of Sussex has continued to have great success with his Invictus Games, founded in 2014 as a sporting tournament for sick and injured military veterans.

Royal historian Ed Owens has questioned what William thinks of Harry’s achievements with the Games, as he told Us Magazine that the Duke has done “remarkable things”.

He added that Invictus “now has international presences, and I think that international stage is something both brothers are clearly vying for. That international limelight really sets Harry’s work apart.”

Royal commentator Robert Jobson agreed with this assessment, as he told ABC News that William has been “surprised” by how well Invictus has gone for Harry.

He said: “I think there was a degree of jealousy about how well it had gone. I do think that William was surprised how much this had been such a success and how much money was being thrown into it and how many governments were getting involved.”

During a promotional interview with Good Morning America for his book Spare, Harry admitted that there had always been a degree of rivalry between the brothers.