And tales from William and Harry’s childhood imply that the two were, perhaps unintentionally, raised as an heir and a spare. In fact, according to royal biographer Ingrid Seward, the Queen Mother in particular favored William, knowing that one day he would be the future king. But Princess Diana apparently worked hard to ensure that Harry didn’t feel as though he was second best.
Tragically, though, in 1997 Diana suddenly died in a motor vehicle accident, and the two boys were left motherless. And the harrowing experience seemingly brought them together like nothing else could. In a 2017 clip which was published by Kensington Palace, William said, “We are uniquely bonded because of what we’ve been through. But even Harry and I over the years have not talked enough about our mother.”
So when Harry married actress Meghan Markle in May 2018, William naturally was his best man. William’s two oldest children – George and Charlotte – served as a page boy and a bridesmaid, respectively. And the wedding itself appeared to be a joyous occasion. But in time rumors about the royals started to spark.