Prince Harry’s feelings of being ‘second place’ began in childhood: Insider

Prince William and Prince Harry’s strained relationship reportedly dates back to their early years, according to former royal butler Paul Burrell. 

Speaking on Channel 5’s new documentary The Palace: What the Royal Servants Saw, Burrell revealed that the brothers were subtly treated differently even as children.

“The brothers were often pitted against each other as William was given more importance than Harry,” Burrell explained, recalling a moment that stayed with him for decades. “I heard one of the nannies say to William, ‘I’m going to give you three sausages, William. You need to grow big and strong, because you’re going to be king one day.’”

He added, “Poor Harry’s face across the table. I looked at him and knew he was thinking, ‘Why did you get three sausages and I got two?’”

Burrell, who served Princess Diana very closely, also shared the dynamic between the brothers as adults. “I met both William and Harry in their early 20s at a polo match and chatted to them, and you could see that Harry always felt he was in second place,” he said.

The revelations add another layer to the long-discussed royal rift.