Prince William and Prince Harry have always had different personalities. The two brothers were close when they were younger, but as they aged and Harry grew more independent, tensions began to rise between them. These days, the two aren’t close at all.

Despite being friendly growing up, their different personalities sometimes clashed. Now, a former staffer claims that William, who is first in line for the throne and slated to be the next king, was actually “jealous” of his younger brother’s “popularity” during their youth.

Prince William and Prince Harry | Toby Melville/WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince William was ‘jealous’ of Prince Harry, former staffer says

William is a little bit older than his brother, and from his birth, it was known that he would be the next king. Of course, as a result, William was the more important of the two from a royal standpoint, though both brothers were valued by the royal family; Harry had an especially close relationship with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

But Harry’s former royal bodyguard spoke out about the two brothers’ relationship in the present, and referenced that William was always a bit “jealous” of Harry’s likeable personality.

“Harry was always the court jester as a child. Part of the problem with him and his brother was that William was somewhat jealous of his popularity,” Ken Wharfe told The Sun. Wharfe referred to Harry as the “court jester” of the family likely because he had a good personality and a goofy way about him.

Although there is nothing to prove it, it’s possible that Harry’s popularity bothered William into adulthood. Harry was always seen as the more free-spirited of the two, but William didn’t have a choice; as the future king, he had to be a bit more serious than his brother.

Prince William and Prince Harry still have not worked things out

William and Harry have always had their differences, but it wasn’t until Harry met Meghan Markle that the Duke of Sussex truly started to show his independence. William didn’t love that; the brothers’ relationship slowly became filled with tension.

After Harry and Meghan moved to the United States, Harry and William largely stopped communicating unless it was necessary. These days, the brothers reportedly don’t speak at all and only communicate through their father, King Charles. Charles and Harry don’t have a close relationship, but the two do still talk. At this point, it’s unclear if there will come a time where Harry and William patch things up.