Prince William's Staff Reportedly Planted Stories About Prince Harry's Mental Health

While it might seem like the rift between Prince William and Prince Harry stems from his marriage to Meghan Markle and their joint interview with Oprah Winfrey. But according to the Mirror in the UK, the actual root might have been sparked by the Kensington Palace aides.

According to the report by the Mirror, William's staff were "planting fears" over Prince Harry's mental state. A royal insider is credited with the scoop, so take it with a grain of salt, but Harry's 2019 interview saying he and William were on "different paths" put the alleged plan into motion.

The interview with ITV's Tom Bradby came after Harry and Meghan Markle's trip to South Africa. As the Mirror notes, the interview made headlines in 2019, especially once Markle noted her "surviving not thriving" point of view.

"I would say that it was no coincidence that it was shortly after that aired, even the next day, there were source quotes that came from a senior aide at Kensington Palace saying that William was worried about his brother's mental health," royal expert Omid Scobie said in a new documentary. "That fed off such an ugly thing for Harry and it did not go unnoticed. Now whether William directed that or not, no one will ever know, but it came from his household that he is the boss of."

Markle also allegedly played a role in the rift, with William standing unhappy that she was becoming involved in royal affairs. "Someone close to William told me William felt from an early stage that Meghan had an agenda," Robert Lacey, royal author, says in the doc. Others added that Markle reportedly was "upsetting" people around the palace.

At the same time, another report questions how trustworthy Prince Harry is at his current status. According to the New York Post, all of the sniping and rumors have taken a toll on the brothers. "Despite William and Harry coming together this week for the sole cause of commemorating their mother's legacy, Harry is very much on the outside," the New York Post says, referencing the recent unveiling of their mother's statue. "They put on a show, did what they had to do to make sure the day went without a hitch and said goodbye."

The Post adds that William and other royals refuse to have "one-on-one" chats with Harry, saying he's not trusted enough to speak with solo. This is the continued fallout from Harry's interview with Oprah and continued comments with Gayle King.