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Prince Harry has two children with his wife, Meghan Markle, both of whom he has kept fairly private from the public eye. Harry and Meghan welcomed Prince Archie back in 2019 while they were still living in the United Kingdom, and the two had Princess Lilibet in 2021 after removing themselves from royal life and relocating to Montecito, California.

Harry grew up with a solid relationship with his older brother, Prince William, though things have since gone south between the two men. But Harry once revealed that having two children has helped him to better understand his own relationship with William.

Prince William and Prince Harry
Prince William and Prince Harry | Yui Mok/WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince Harry compared his two children to himself and Prince William

Growing up, Harry and William were always close. But as the big brother, William still wanted some distance from Harry, although Harry didn’t feel the same. At the time, Harry didn’t understand it well, but he revealed back in 2023 that he gets it now that he has two children of his own who are a couple of years apart just like he is to William.

“The gap between me and William is very similar to Archie and Lili,” Harry said in an interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby. “And to see Lili obsessed with Archie and Archie like, ‘No, no Lili, I need my space, I need my space,’ now I get it.”

Harry also said that it helped him better understand his own sibling dynamic. “I get how irritating the younger sibling can be to the older sibling,” he continued, according to Express. “But in the moment, at the time, I didn’t. I didn’t really grasp that, I didn’t really realize it.”

Harry went on to talk about how William’s treatment of him was difficult for him to understand. He claimed his brother didn’t want to “know” him when the two attended private school together. “He didn’t want anything to do with me. And that hurt at the time.”

Prince William and Prince Harry
Prince William and Prince Harry | Toby Melville/WPA Pool/Getty Images
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Prince Harry and Prince William have had a difficult relationship

Although they went through the typical trials and tribulations of being siblings, Harry and William were still quite close growing up. But as they grew older and Harry began his own life with Meghan Markle, things between Harry and William grew more tense. Harry even recalled a physical altercation with William as written in his “Spare” memoir, and the two have not spent much time together since Harry relocated to the US.

It’s unclear exactly where things stand between Harry and William today. Harry is planning to return to the UK in May, most likely with Meghan, and it’s possible he will reconnect with William and also show support for Kate Middleton, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment. Though things might not be perfect between the two men, the whole world continues to root for them and hopes they can eventually put their differences aside and rebuild that bond.