September 1, 2026 • 10 mins
As we watch the royal family feud in the UK escalate, we’re reminded of our own sibling rivalries. Of course, theirs plays out in the media for our questionable entertainment. But William and Harry are just the latest in a long line of royal family battles that frequently turned violent.
Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, so if you have brothers and or sisters,
no matter how much you love them, you can't avoid
the occasional fight, right? But imagine your sibling isn't just
your brother or sister, but a lifelong competitor. And imagine
the competition involves a crown. William, the Prince of Wales,
and his younger brother, Prince Harry, are in the midst
of a major personal battle, all playing out in the
(00:22):
public spotlight. For years, they looked like the best of buds,
but clearly something was festering underneath. And this has happened
in royal families for thousands of years. I'm Patti Steele.
Royal family battles that make William and Harry's issues look
like a playground dust-up. That's next on The Backstory. The
(00:46):
Backstory is back. Family squabbles happen in pretty much every family.
And if people tell you it doesn't happen in their family,
I would be very suspicious. Sibling rivalry is a rite
of passage. Who got more attention? Who got the better bedroom?
Who was mom or dad's favorite? But it's a whole
different thing for royalty. Because when you're born into a
(01:08):
royal family, sibling rivalry can be a lot more complicated
than an argument at the dinner table. There's this underlying
issue for anyone who isn't next in line to the throne.
You're expected to play a role in all the family's
charitable endeavors. You're expected to conduct yourself like somebody who
could one day be the monarch. But in all likelihood,
(01:30):
you'll always just be the spare, just in case something
happens to the first in line. So what do you
do with yourself? It's not easy. In centuries past, it
was frequently way more complicated. There was a lot of
cloak and dagger stuff that went on that sometimes changed
the line of succession. On the upside, these people didn't
(01:52):
have to deal with the white-hot media spotlight. They did
what they needed to do, and that was it. But
what they needed to do frequently involved violence. Take Cleopatra,
the queen of Egypt. When her father died in around
51 BC, she married her brother, Ptolemy. Think of all
the battles that can lead to. And it did. Just
(02:13):
three years later, the couple fell out and got involved
in a bloody civil war against each other. But at
the same time, Cleopatra and Ptolemy's younger sister, Arsinoe, claimed
the throne for herself. So Cleopatra formed a political and
romantic alliance with Roman leader Julius Caesar. So now Cleopatra
(02:34):
had the most powerful backing, and right as her husband-slash-brother
Ptolemy lost the battle, he conveniently drowned in the Nile,
probably due to her. At the same time, little sister
Arsinoe was captured, paraded through the streets in shackles made
of gold, and then exiled and later murdered. Cleopatra then
(02:55):
married another of her brothers, but later was probably part
of the conspiracy that had him murdered so her son
could become her co-ruler. Nice family, killed all her brothers
and sisters. So now we move forward to 16th century England,
where two sisters were born into one of the most
dysfunctional royal families ever. Mary and Elizabeth were the daughters
(03:17):
of King Henry VIII, but they had different mothers. Mary
was the daughter of Catherine of Aragon, Elizabeth was the
daughter of Anne Boleyn, and that was a problem. Henry
had broken with Catherine and the Catholic Church because he
wanted out of his marriage. Then he married Anne Boleyn.
But Anne eventually fell out of favor with Henry as well.
(03:38):
He falsely accused her of adultery, incest with her own brother,
and more. And he had her head chopped off at
the end of it. Little Elizabeth was suddenly the daughter
of a disgraced woman. Eventually, Mary became queen, and she
saw Elizabeth as something dangerous, a potential alternative for the throne.
After a rebellion against Mary, Elizabeth was arrested and locked
(04:01):
up in the Tower of London, even though Elizabeth denied
being part of the rebellion. Eventually, though, Mary had her released,
but they were never pals. Finally, the big twist. Mary
died in 1558, and Elizabeth became queen. The little sister
who had once been a prisoner became Elizabeth I., one
(04:22):
of England's most famous monarchs. Now, fast forward to 1936.
This was the most wild royal sibling feud of the
20th century. Edward VIII was king. His younger brother Albert,
known to the family as Bertie, wasn't expecting to become king,
and that was fine with him. He loved his life
in the countryside. Then, Edward fell in love with Wallis Simpson,
(04:46):
a married American woman who had also been divorced from
yet another guy, The British government and the Church of
England opposed the marriage. Edward had a choice. Give up
the woman he loved or give up the throne. He
chose to walk off the throne, and he abdicated. So
his shy little brother became King George VI, and he
(05:06):
didn't like it one bit. George had to overcome a
debilitating stutter and take on a job he had never
prepared for or wanted. The brothers became increasingly estranged. Edward
moved away from the UK, where neither he nor his
wife were welcome, while George ran the royal firm through
World War II. And that brings us to the latest
(05:27):
royal sibling feud, Prince William and Prince Harry. The world
watched them grow up. They appeared together at public events,
supported each other through the terrible tragedy of losing their mother,
Princess Diana, and for years seemed remarkably close. But there
was always one fundamental difference between them. William was the
heir to the throne, Harry was the spare. William was
(05:51):
preparing to become king, Harry wasn't. And that difference became
increasingly important as they grew older. Again, for centuries, royal
families could keep their arguments private. But William and Harry
live in a completely different media environment. Disagreements become international news.
Every photograph analyzed, every public appearance examined, every sentence dissected.
(06:15):
So we've all been watching a family argument unfold in public.
William is inside the institution. Harry is outside. William's future
is the monarchy. Harry's future is independence from it. And
now the story has taken another turn. Weeks ago, Harry
and wife Meghan Markle returned to the UK with their
children after years of living in California. The kids will
(06:38):
go to school there. But Harry is not returning as
a working royal. and the family's not moving into a
royal residence. But could moving home mean the brother's relationship
could thaw? Well, distance isn't the biggest problem. Trust is.
So what makes royal feuds different? Ordinary siblings can stop talking.
(06:59):
Royal siblings can't always do that. They're part of the institution,
or the firm as they call it. Their private disagreements
can affect public confidence. Their marriages become political, and their
arguments become international entertainment. That's why the feud between William
and Harry belongs in the same conversation as Cleopatra, Mary
(07:20):
and Elizabeth, and Edward and George. Their circumstances are different, sure,
but the basic human emotions aren't. Jealousy, love, resentment, competition, loyalty,
and the desire to be understood, to mean something as
an individual. Beneath the crowns and palaces, there's still family stories.
(07:42):
a kid thinks he or she has been shorted, or
an older one is wondering why the younger one doesn't
understand the responsibility that comes with being first. The difference
is that in a royal family, everyone is a chess piece.
There's a story about King Edward, who abdicated in 1936,
and his attitude about his much younger brother, John, who
(08:03):
suffered from severe epilepsy and autism. John died in 1919
at just 13 years old. Edward, who was 25, wrote
to his then-girlfriend that John's death was just a little
more than a regrettable nuisance. He said John had only
been a brother in flesh and had become more of
an animal than anything else. He was glad he said
(08:24):
that the family didn't have to keep him hidden from
the public anymore. Whew, icy guy. So Cleopatra, Mary, and
Elizabeth fought over survival and power. Edward and George fought
over duty and the consequences of wearing the crown. And
William and Harry... well, their story is not finished. Maybe
(08:45):
they'll reconcile, maybe they won't. But if history teaches us anything,
it's this. Royal families have castles, crowns, centuries of tradition.
But when it comes to sibling squabbles, they're really not
all that different from you and me. Hope you like
the backstory with Patty Steele. Please leave a review. I'd
love it if you'd subscribe or follow for free to
(09:07):
get new episodes delivered automatically. Also, feel free to DM
me if you have a story you'd like me to cover.
On Facebook, it's Patty Steele, and on Instagram, Real Patty Steele.
I'm Patti Steele. The Backstory is a production of iHeartMedia,
(09:27):
Premier Networks, The Elvis Duran Group, and Steel Trap Productions.
Our producer is Mike Peseglia. Our writer is Jake Kushner.
New episodes are out every Tuesday and Friday. And feel
free to reach out to me with comments and story
suggestions on Instagram at RealPattiSteele and on Facebook at Patti Steele.
Thanks for listening to The Backstory with Patti Steele, the
(09:50):
pieces of history you didn't know you needed to know.
All right, so if you have brothers and or sisters,
no matter how much you love them, you can't avoid
the occasional fight, right? But imagine your sibling isn't just
your brother or sister, but a lifelong competitor. And imagine
the competition involves a crown. William, the Prince of Wales,
and his younger brother, Prince Harry, are in the midst
of a major personal battle, all playing out in the
(00:22):
public spotlight. For years, they looked like the best of buds,
but clearly something was festering underneath. And this has happened
in royal families for thousands of years. I'm Patti Steele.
Royal family battles that make William and Harry's issues look
like a playground dust-up. That's next on The Backstory. The
(00:46):
Backstory is back. Family squabbles happen in pretty much every family.
And if people tell you it doesn't happen in their family,
I would be very suspicious. Sibling rivalry is a rite
of passage. Who got more attention? Who got the better bedroom?
Who was mom or dad's favorite? But it's a whole
different thing for royalty. Because when you're born into a
(01:08):
royal family, sibling rivalry can be a lot more complicated
than an argument at the dinner table. There's this underlying
issue for anyone who isn't next in line to the throne.
You're expected to play a role in all the family's
charitable endeavors. You're expected to conduct yourself like somebody who
could one day be the monarch. But in all likelihood,
(01:30):
you'll always just be the spare, just in case something
happens to the first in line. So what do you
do with yourself? It's not easy. In centuries past, it
was frequently way more complicated. There was a lot of
cloak and dagger stuff that went on that sometimes changed
the line of succession. On the upside, these people didn't
(01:52):
have to deal with the white-hot media spotlight. They did
what they needed to do, and that was it. But
what they needed to do frequently involved violence. Take Cleopatra,
the queen of Egypt. When her father died in around
51 BC, she married her brother, Ptolemy. Think of all
the battles that can lead to. And it did. Just
(02:13):
three years later, the couple fell out and got involved
in a bloody civil war against each other. But at
the same time, Cleopatra and Ptolemy's younger sister, Arsinoe, claimed
the throne for herself. So Cleopatra formed a political and
romantic alliance with Roman leader Julius Caesar. So now Cleopatra
(02:34):
had the most powerful backing, and right as her husband-slash-brother
Ptolemy lost the battle, he conveniently drowned in the Nile,
probably due to her. At the same time, little sister
Arsinoe was captured, paraded through the streets in shackles made
of gold, and then exiled and later murdered. Cleopatra then
(02:55):
married another of her brothers, but later was probably part
of the conspiracy that had him murdered so her son
could become her co-ruler. Nice family, killed all her brothers
and sisters. So now we move forward to 16th century England,
where two sisters were born into one of the most
dysfunctional royal families ever. Mary and Elizabeth were the daughters
(03:17):
of King Henry VIII, but they had different mothers. Mary
was the daughter of Catherine of Aragon, Elizabeth was the
daughter of Anne Boleyn, and that was a problem. Henry
had broken with Catherine and the Catholic Church because he
wanted out of his marriage. Then he married Anne Boleyn.
But Anne eventually fell out of favor with Henry as well.
(03:38):
He falsely accused her of adultery, incest with her own brother,
and more. And he had her head chopped off at
the end of it. Little Elizabeth was suddenly the daughter
of a disgraced woman. Eventually, Mary became queen, and she
saw Elizabeth as something dangerous, a potential alternative for the throne.
After a rebellion against Mary, Elizabeth was arrested and locked
(04:01):
up in the Tower of London, even though Elizabeth denied
being part of the rebellion. Eventually, though, Mary had her released,
but they were never pals. Finally, the big twist. Mary
died in 1558, and Elizabeth became queen. The little sister
who had once been a prisoner became Elizabeth I., one
(04:22):
of England's most famous monarchs. Now, fast forward to 1936.
This was the most wild royal sibling feud of the
20th century. Edward VIII was king. His younger brother Albert,
known to the family as Bertie, wasn't expecting to become king,
and that was fine with him. He loved his life
in the countryside. Then, Edward fell in love with Wallis Simpson,
(04:46):
a married American woman who had also been divorced from
yet another guy, The British government and the Church of
England opposed the marriage. Edward had a choice. Give up
the woman he loved or give up the throne. He
chose to walk off the throne, and he abdicated. So
his shy little brother became King George VI, and he
(05:06):
didn't like it one bit. George had to overcome a
debilitating stutter and take on a job he had never
prepared for or wanted. The brothers became increasingly estranged. Edward
moved away from the UK, where neither he nor his
wife were welcome, while George ran the royal firm through
World War II. And that brings us to the latest
(05:27):
royal sibling feud, Prince William and Prince Harry. The world
watched them grow up. They appeared together at public events,
supported each other through the terrible tragedy of losing their mother,
Princess Diana, and for years seemed remarkably close. But there
was always one fundamental difference between them. William was the
heir to the throne, Harry was the spare. William was
(05:51):
preparing to become king, Harry wasn't. And that difference became
increasingly important as they grew older. Again, for centuries, royal
families could keep their arguments private. But William and Harry
live in a completely different media environment. Disagreements become international news.
Every photograph analyzed, every public appearance examined, every sentence dissected.
(06:15):
So we've all been watching a family argument unfold in public.
William is inside the institution. Harry is outside. William's future
is the monarchy. Harry's future is independence from it. And
now the story has taken another turn. Weeks ago, Harry
and wife Meghan Markle returned to the UK with their
children after years of living in California. The kids will
(06:38):
go to school there. But Harry is not returning as
a working royal. and the family's not moving into a
royal residence. But could moving home mean the brother's relationship
could thaw? Well, distance isn't the biggest problem. Trust is.
So what makes royal feuds different? Ordinary siblings can stop talking.
(06:59):
Royal siblings can't always do that. They're part of the institution,
or the firm as they call it. Their private disagreements
can affect public confidence. Their marriages become political, and their
arguments become international entertainment. That's why the feud between William
and Harry belongs in the same conversation as Cleopatra, Mary
(07:20):
and Elizabeth, and Edward and George. Their circumstances are different, sure,
but the basic human emotions aren't. Jealousy, love, resentment, competition, loyalty,
and the desire to be understood, to mean something as
an individual. Beneath the crowns and palaces, there's still family stories.
(07:42):
a kid thinks he or she has been shorted, or
an older one is wondering why the younger one doesn't
understand the responsibility that comes with being first. The difference
is that in a royal family, everyone is a chess piece.
There's a story about King Edward, who abdicated in 1936,
and his attitude about his much younger brother, John, who
(08:03):
suffered from severe epilepsy and autism. John died in 1919
at just 13 years old. Edward, who was 25, wrote
to his then-girlfriend that John's death was just a little
more than a regrettable nuisance. He said John had only
been a brother in flesh and had become more of
an animal than anything else. He was glad he said
(08:24):
that the family didn't have to keep him hidden from
the public anymore. Whew, icy guy. So Cleopatra, Mary, and
Elizabeth fought over survival and power. Edward and George fought
over duty and the consequences of wearing the crown. And
William and Harry... well, their story is not finished. Maybe
(08:45):
they'll reconcile, maybe they won't. But if history teaches us anything,
it's this. Royal families have castles, crowns, centuries of tradition.
But when it comes to sibling squabbles, they're really not
all that different from you and me. Hope you like
the backstory with Patty Steele. Please leave a review. I'd
love it if you'd subscribe or follow for free to
(09:07):
get new episodes delivered automatically. Also, feel free to DM
me if you have a story you'd like me to cover.
On Facebook, it's Patty Steele, and on Instagram, Real Patty Steele.
I'm Patti Steele. The Backstory is a production of iHeartMedia,
(09:27):
Premier Networks, The Elvis Duran Group, and Steel Trap Productions.
Our producer is Mike Peseglia. Our writer is Jake Kushner.
New episodes are out every Tuesday and Friday. And feel
free to reach out to me with comments and story
suggestions on Instagram at RealPattiSteele and on Facebook at Patti Steele.
Thanks for listening to The Backstory with Patti Steele, the
(09:50):
pieces of history you didn't know you needed to know.
Host
Patty Steele
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com