Prince William uses 'secret code' with brother Prince Harry despite years-long feud

Prince Harry has been open about his broken relationship with Prince William , with the pair having been estranged for years.

The tensions began when the Duke of Sussex stepped down from the Royal Family with his wife Meghan Markle . The relationship further deteriorated when Harry released his explosive memoir, Spare.

In the book, Harry made a number of shocking allegations about his brother. In one chapter, he recounted a heated dispute that occurred as Harry, William, and their father King Charles strolled near Frogmore Cottage after Prince Philip's funeral.

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The three were discussing the explosive interview Harry and Meghan had given to Oprah Winfrey just a month earlier. Harry claimed he was attempting to address bullying accusations leveled against Meghan, but his father and brother "weren't listening".

Harry alleged that William was "really steaming" and reached for him as he tried to walk away. "I waved a hand, disgusted, but he lunged, grabbed my shirt. 'Listen to me, Harold'," Harry penned in his book.

"I pulled away, refused to meet his gaze. He forced me to look into his eyes. 'Listen to me, Harold, listen! I love you, Harold! I want you to be happy'," he added.

Harry said he responded: "I love you too...but your stubbornness is extraordinary!" The Duke of Sussex then reportedly tried to pull away, but William "grabbed him again" and "twisted him" so they could maintain eye contact.

William then invoked their "secret code". Harry revealed William pleaded: "Harold, you must listen to me! I just want you to be happy, Harold. I swear I swear on Mummy's life."

Harry added; "He stopped. I stopped. Pa stopped. He'd gone there. He'd used the secret code, the universal password. Ever since we were boys those three words were to be used only in times of extreme crisis. For nearly twenty-five years we'd reserved that soul-crushing vow for times when one of us needed to be heard, to be believed quickly. For times when nothing else would do."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Harry remained unconvinced by his brother's words, as William continued: "I swear to you now on Mummy's life that I just want you to be happy." In response, Harry's "voice broke" and he expressed his doubt. The encounter ended with a poignant gesture from William who embraced Harry, saying: "I love you."

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