The true extent of the hurt caused by Prince Harry’s war with his brother was laid bare when the Prince of Wales described 2024 as ‘the hardest year in my life’.

The cancer diagnoses of both William’s wife and father were obviously a large part to blame for the comments he made at the end of his official visit to South Africa in November.

But sources close to the future King insist the publication of Harry’s bombshell book Spare back in January 2023 and the ongoing bad blood between the brothers have taken a toll.

Speaking to reporters in Cape Town, William was asked about how he felt 2024 had gone. And in an uncharacteristically blunt response he said, ‘It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life. So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.’

This was an astonishing statement given that in 1997 – when the prince was just 15 years old – he lost his mother, Princess Diana, in the most tragic of circumstances. How could anything compare to a year that robbed the young prince of the person he adored?

The Princess of Wales appears to be on the mend after what would have been an incredibly frightening and difficult cancer scare.

The King is also believed to be making progress in the right direction as he deals with his own health issues.