Prince William makes very rare comments about brother Prince Harry amid family rift: ‘I was a bit anxious’
Prince William recalled a transformative childhood moment he shared with his brother, Prince Harry, in his two-part documentary “Prince William: We Can End Homelessness.”
In a clip released on Saturday, the royal shared that his interest in the charity endeavor started after his late mother, Princess Diana, took him and his brother to The Passage, a U.K. charity supporting those experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
“My mother took me to The Passage; she took Harry and I both there. I must have been 11 at the time, maybe 10,” William said. “I had never been to anything like that before, and I was a bit anxious about what to expect.”
“My mother went about her usual, making everyone feel relaxed, having a laugh and joking with everyone. I remember at the time kind of thinking, ‘Well, if everyone doesn’t have a home, they’re all going to be really sad.’ But it was incredible how happy an environment it was,” he recalled.
“I remember having some good conversations, playing chess, chatting and that’s when it dawned on me that there were other people out there who don’t have the same life as you do.”
William continued, “You know, when you’re quite small, you just think life is what you see in front of you and you don’t really have concept to look elsewhere. It’s when you meet people, as I did then, who put a different perspective in your head and say, ‘Well, I was living on the street last night,’ and you’re like, ‘Woah.’ I remember that happening.”
The documentary is believed to be the first time the royal has publicly spoken about his brother amid their ongoing family rift.
Reports surfaced that the divide between the Duke of Sussex and his brother was “very bad” but not “irreparable” over the summer as their relationship seemed to hit another snag when Harry requested additional security for him and his family while visiting his home country.
Around the same time, sources also reported that King Charles stopped talking to Harry despite the son’s attempts to check on the monarch’s health following his cancer diagnosis.
A royal insider previously told Page Six that the only way for Harry and Charles to reconcile would be for the monarch to give Harry the heightened security clearance he has been requesting for several years.
“As the monarch, he is the ultimate decision maker. That would be how father and son can reconcile,” said the source.
“Prince William: We Can End Homelessness” will air Oct. 30 and 31 on ITV in the UK.
