Prince William and Prince Harry lived together while they were both training to be military helicopter pilots, and a former royal butler has claimed William was “quite strict” with his brother
Royal experts weighed in on the dynamic shown by Harry and William in a 2009 interview(Image: Getty Images)
Prince William was “quite strict” with Prince Harry when it came to specific responsibilities during their time living together, according to insights from a former royal staff member. In the documentary Prince William: Passion, Honour, Duty, airing on Channel 5 in the UK, royal commentators weigh in on the brothers’ rapport during a 2009 interview at an RAF base located in the West Midlands, UK.
During this time, the royal brothers were training alongside each other as military helicopter pilots. The ITN footage was shot at RAF Shawbury, a Royal Air Force station in Shropshire.
In the video, the young princes exchange playful jibes. Harry can be heard joking about William’s “baldness,” while the future King responds that it is “pretty rich coming from a ginger.”
It was also during this time that Harry and William had to bunk up with each other, an experience that apparently didn’t go over well with the Duke of Sussex.
The royal brothers were training alongside each other as military helicopter pilots
He remarked: “First and last time we’ll be living together, I assure you of that.” To which William expressed: “It’s been a fairly emotional experience.”
When probed further about their living situation, the Prince of Wales claimed he cooked for and fed Harry “basically every day”. However, he added that, although he did take part in the washing up, his brother “leaves most of it in the sink”. Harry simply replied: “Oh, the lies.”
An expert has added his interpretation of the domestic dynamics between Prince William and Prince Harry, hinting that William may have been rather “strict” regarding household chores.
Grant Harrold, who once served as William’s royal butler, commented: “I think the difference there is it’s very much them just on their own. Where, with the other royal homes, if they do leave the dishes in the sink, myself or somebody else is going to come along and wash it up; course we are.
“But in that environment, there isn’t anybody else, and I think William can be quite strict with his brother, making sure that he does do the tidying up or laying the tables or whatever.”
Harry and William had to bunk up with each other at the time(Image: Getty Images)
As reported by the Mail, Prince Harry reflected on the pair’s time at RAF Shawbury in his explosive 2023 memoir, Spare, sharing that they lived in a cottage only 10 minutes from the base.
He revealed that this was the first instance they’d lived together since their days at the renowned Berkshire boarding school, Eton College, where other notable figures like author George Orwell, actors Hugh Laurie and Dominic West, and adventurer Bear Grylls also studied.
Both Harry and William trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the early 2000s, with Harry considering the Forces a potential career path for a more “normal” life, as per an Express report.
Meanwhile, according to royal biographer Duncan Larcombe, William’s military stint was nothing “more than window dressing”. He added: “As heir to the throne, William was never likely to serve in the front line.”
William exited the RAF in 2013 after dedicating over seven years to service, while Harry concluded his military career in 2015 following a decade of service that included two stints in Afghanistan.
Prince William: Passion, Honour, Duty, Saturday 21st June, 8.30pm UK time. Watch | Stream on 5.