A royal rift has pushed the brothers apart…

Princess Diana reportedly once made her sons Prince William and Harry agree to a promise that they have seemed to have failed to honour.

Diana died on August 31, 1997 following a car crash in Paris. She was only 36 years old and her two young sons had to mourn their mother publicly at her funeral days later.

Both of the Princes, William and Harry, have kept their mother Princess Diana’s legacy alive throughout the years. From unveiling a statue to commemorate her 60th birthday, to speaking to their children about their grandmother.

However, Diana, the former Princess of Wales, never got to see where Prince William and Harry ended up. A royal feud, a bombshell interview and tell-all memoir that has torn the family apart.
Princess Diana reportedly asked Prince William and Harry to make her a promise before her death (Credit: Ron Sachs/picture-alliance/Cover Images)

Princess Diana made Prince William and Harry swear a ‘promise’ to her

Simone Simmons, Diana’s psychic and friend, revealed the late princess’ promise in the updated version of Robert Lacey’s Battle of Brothers book in 2021.

She said Princess Diana told her sons Prince Harry and William: “You must promise me that you will always be each other’s best friends.

“And never let anyone come between you.”

Meanwhile, Lacey said Simmons claimed William and Harry promised “they would keep to that”.

The brothers apparently “high-fived each other and gave their mother a big cuddle”.
Prince Harry says he hasn’t spoken to his family since his court battles (Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images)

Prince William and Harry’s feud which Princess Diana didn’t see play out

The notion that the brothers were feuding were first revealed to the public during the Sussexes’ official royal tour.

During an interview with ITV, Harry admitted that he and his brother were on ‘different paths now’ but they would always be there for each other. He mentioned how ‘inevitably stuff happens’ and this caused a media storm.

He said: “We are brothers. We will always be brothers.

“We are certainly on different paths at the moment but I will always be there for him as I know he will always be there for me.

“We don’t see each other as much as we used to because we are so busy but I love him dearly.

“The majority of the stuff is created out of nothing but as brothers, you know, you have good days, you have bad days.”

Harry claimed he and William got into a physical altercation in his memoir Spare (Credit: Cover Images)

Royal family secrets

Then it seemed to intensify in 2020. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal roles, they left the UK to live in North America.

It lead to a series of interviews that aired the royal family’s dirty laundry. First the pair sat down for a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, then Harry went on the James Corden Late Late Show. The duo signed a mega-multi-million deal with Netflix and released their six-part docu-series in December 2022. They revisited some of the issues they dealt with within The Firm in the show.

In January 2023, Harry released his memoir Spare. He made several allegations about incidents within the family, including a claim he and William got into a physical altercation over Meghan Markle.

The royal family have not responded to any of the claims.
Harry and William apparently agreed to remain close (Credit: Cover Images)

Duke of Sussex wants to reconcile with his family

In May 2025, Prince Harry made a plea during a BBC interview where he revealed he wants to reconcile with his family.

He said he wanted to move on from the feud, as he didn’t know ‘how long’ his father King Charles has left. The monarch was diagnosed with a form of cancer in February 2023, but the type, or prognosis, has not been disclosed. He is currently still continuing with his public duties and receiving treatment.

Reports say there has been no contact between Prince Harry and his brother William since his memoir was published – despite their wish to mother Princess Diana.

During the BBC interview, the royal said his father had stopped talking to him as he pursued his battle to reinstate his security status in the UK.