Growing up as members of the royal family, Prince William and Prince Harry experienced anything but a typical childhood. From their parents’ public divorce to the tragic loss of their mother, the two brothers faced enormous challenges early in life.

Although they’ve often spoken about how they leaned on each other during tough times, a former royal aide claims their relationship wasn’t always smooth—especially with William’s future as king creating a natural divide between them.

Harry’s Early Feelings of Being Second Best

Paul Burrell, Princess Diana’s former butler who started working in royal service at the age of 18, had a front-row seat to the upbringing of the princes. In the Channel 5 documentary The Palace: What the Royal Servants Saw, Burrell shared how young Harry often felt overshadowed by William’s position as the heir.

“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,’” Burrell recounted, according to Express. He described Harry’s reaction as heart-wrenching: “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 believed this sense of inequality followed Harry into adulthood. “I met both William and Harry in their early 20s, at a polo match, and chatted to them… You could see that Harry always felt he was in second place,” he said.

A Complex Personality Beneath the Surface

Royal biographer Robert Jobson also offered his perspective on Harry’s emotional struggles. “Even though he had this persona of being this happy-go-lucky guy that was well respected, the reality, I think, is that he always had a complex character,” Jobson said. “He was always struggling with the idea of the service, of having a public role.”