BROTHERS AT WAR
Prince Harry and William’s feud began before Meghan, says insider as they reveal row which sparked long-lasting rivalry
Sources say the pair had a differing approach to conservation
PRINCE Harry and William's feud started before his relationship with Meghan Markle, a palace insider has claimed.
Rumours that there was a feud between the Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales began in 2018.
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The first hints of friction reportedly came after William was introduced to Meghan when she was staying at Kensington Palace.
Then The Sun told how "simmering tension" began when William questioned the speed of Harry and Meghan's engagement.
Harry, 39, later hinted in his ITV documentary "Harry and Meghan, An African Journey" that he and his brother had grown apart.
But now it has emerged that the royal rift allegedly took off over the brothers' differing approach to wildlife conservation.
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The pair share a passion for preserving protected species but they had opposing views on how to carry it out in Africa.
William favoured "community-led initiatives", while Harry supported a "more interventionist approach".
A source told : "They are both very passionate about saving protected species but didn’t always share the same view about how to run projects in Africa.
"William believes you should focus on community-led schemes where local people over time feel empowered to protect the land.
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"Harry, on the other hand, was more interventionist. He felt that you need a more hands-on approach to ensure wildlife habitats were securely protected to enact change quickly."
Last year Harry claimed his brother "knocked him to the floor" during an argument about Meghan.
In his book Spare, Harry said William branded Meghan "rude" and "difficult" during a row.
Harry alleged William "grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor".
He said he was left with a visible injury to his back following the argument in 2019 at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, where he was living at the time.
It comes after Prince Philip called Meghan the "D.O.W" after the Duchess of Windsor — the American divorcee who led Edward VIII to abdicate.
And he warned the late Queen to be "cautious" of Harry's then bride-to-be, a royal author claims.
Ingrid Seward revealed in new book My Mother And I that Prince Philip felt it was "uncanny...how much Meghan reminded him of the Duchess of Windsor".
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Have there been rift rumours in the past?
In 2018, the Sun told how "simmering tension" began when William questioned the speed of Harry and Meghan's engagement.
The first hints of friction reportedly came after William was introduced to Meghan when she was staying at Kensington Palace.
Once she'd returned home to Canada, William and Harry sat down for a brother to brother chat.
He knew Harry was already head-over-heels for her but it has been claimed he advised him to take it slowly.
The younger prince reportedly didn't take too kindly to the advice, with one royal source saying he "went mental".
Then in June 2019 Harry and Meghan officially split off from the charity they shared with William and Kate.
The Royal Foundation will be divided between the Sussexes and Cambridges as the couples focus on their own separate charitable endeavours.
Prince William and Prince Harry first established the Royal Foundation in 2009 before Kate joined two years later shortly after their engagement was announced.
The trio would often appear together at events and the Foundation had huge successes with projects like the Invictus Games for injured veterans and the mental health Heads Together campaign.
The Royal Foundation said the decision was made following the conclusion of a review into its structure - but added both couples will continue to work together in the future.
Harry and Meg were living in close proximity to Kate and Wills within the Kensington Palace estate, but they switched to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor before baby Archie was born.
The move further increased rumours of a fall out.
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