- Royal brothers Prince William and Prince Harry have shared a close bond since birth.
- This bond was only strengthened after they experienced the tragic death of their mother, Princess Diana, in 1997. Harry was only 12 years old at the time, while William was 15.
- However, things appeared to change in 2019, and Harry confirmed this by saying he and William were “on different paths at the moment.”
- The brothers reunited for Harry and Meghan Markle’s final royal engagement in March 2020, however they didn’t appear to interact at the event.
- Now they have officially cut ties as Harry and William plan to divide the proceeds from Princess Diana’s Memorial Fund.
- Insider has gathered 21 photos that show how their relationship has changed through the years.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
A two-year-old Prince William was first photographed with Prince Harry at his christening ceremony, shortly after his birth in 1984.
Foto: Princess Diana, Prince William, and Prince Harry at his christening service.
This adorable photo of the royal family before the ceremony shows a baby Prince Harry reaching out to touch his big brother.
Foto: The Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, Princes William and Harry, and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The brothers’ close bond was obvious since they were little. In this photo, they play the piano together with their mother, Princess Diana, at Kensington Palace.
Foto: Diana, William, and Harry at Kensington Palace.
Prince Charles would encourage the boys’ playful side, as shown in this photo taken in 1985.
Foto: Charles, William and a baby Prince Harry.
In this photo, taken at the family’s apartment in Kensington Palace, William assists Harry as he learns to walk.
Foto: The young princes were the best of friends.
The family appeared to be close-knit. They enjoyed taking part in outdoor activities, including cycling, together.
Foto: The Prince and Princess of Wales with their children.
The brothers attended the same boarding school, Eton College. Here they are on the day Harry joined the school in 1995.
Foto: Princess Diana and Prince William accompany Harry on his first day. Source: Anwar Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images
The brothers were vacationing at Balmoral Castle in Scotland with Prince Charles when they heard the news that their mother had passed away on August 31, 1997.
Foto: Charles, William, and Harry at Balmoral in August 1997. Source: Tim Graham/ Getty Images.
Throughout the years that followed, they stuck together. Later, Prince William opened up about how they were “uniquely bonded because of what we’ve been through.”
Foto: Harry and William stayed close together during official engagements. Source: Sion Touhig / Getty
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While William and Harry pursued different paths after graduating high school, they came back together to undertake military helicopter training in 2009. The brothers, who shared a cottage during the training, joked that it would be their “first and last time living together.”
Foto: Harry and William during a photo call in 2009. Source: Kirsty Wigglesworth/ AP Images.
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Harry served as best man at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on April 29, 2011.
Foto: Harry and William at Westminster Abbey in London. Source: Andrew Milligan – WPA Pool/Getty Images
As the most recent addition to the royal family, Kate Middleton started attending events with William and Harry after her royal wedding in 2011.
Foto: The trio on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Source: Paul Hackett/Reuters
Although the dynamic was forever changed, the three clearly shared a close bond.
Foto: An iconic image of the duke and duchess and Prince Harry. Source: Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images
Harry was far from a third wheel in this trio. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge even partnered up with the younger royal to launch Heads Together, a mental health initiative, in 2016.
Foto: Heads Together is still run by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to this day. Source: Nicky J Sims/Getty Images
Meghan Markle made her first appearance with Harry, William, and Middleton on Christmas Day 2017, earning the group the nickname “the Fab Four.”
Foto: The royals at Sandringham. Source: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Even though Harry now had a fiancé, he still managed to fit in one-to-one time with his brother. In December 2017, the two attended the “Star Wars” premiere without their significant others.
Foto: The brothers walked the red carpet together. Source: Star Max/AP Images
There were rumors that not all members of the family approved of Markle. However, that didn’t stop William from serving as best man at their nuptials on May 19, 2018.
Foto: Harry and William outside St George’s Chapel in Windsor. Source: WPA Pool/Getty
Markle became a senior member of the royal family, joining Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at official Buckingham Palace engagements.
Foto: The “Fab Four” at Buckingham Palace. Source: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
However, after Harry and Markle announced they were resigning from the four’s joint charity, The Royal Foundation, in June 2019, the couples weren’t pictured together for months.
Foto: Markle and Harry in South Africa, where they filmed their ITV documentary. Source: Dominic Lipinski – Pool/Getty Images
Harry and William came face to face for the first time since Harry admitted they were “on different paths” at the Festival of Remembrance in November 2019. However, there are no photos of the brothers interacting at the event.
Foto: The “Fab Four” divided. Source: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Harry and William stepped out for their final royal engagement together in March 2020, two months after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were resigning from their senior roles. The brothers didn’t appear to speak or make eye contact during the event.
Foto: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Westminster Abbey on Commonwealth Day. Source: Phil Harris/Pool via AP Images
Awkward photos from the engagement suggest Harry may have been understating it when he said they were “on different paths” during his ITV documentary last year.
It’s been rumored that the brothers spoke over video call when Harry moved to LA, however this is yet to be confirmed by their representatives.
Nonetheless, Harry said they will always be there for each other during the ITV documentary.
"Part of this role and part of this job, this family, being under the pressure that it's under, inevitably stuff happens," he said.
"But look, we're brothers, we'll always be brothers," he added. "We're certainly on different paths at the moment but I'll always be there for him and as I know he'll always be there for me.
"We don't see each other as much as we used to because we're so busy, but I love him dearly. The majority of this stuff is created out of nothing, but as brothers, you know, you have good days, you have bad days," he added.
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