Prince Harry has revealed the secret code William used to communicate with him at the funeral

Prince William Prince Harry
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Harry is one of the most talked-about people in the world, particularly this week with his highly-anticipated memoir Spare, set for release on Tuesday.

Ahead of the memoir's UK publication, Prince Harry sat down with ITV's Tom Bradby, going into depth about his relationship with the royal family before, during and following his step away from royal life.

A focal part of the interview was unsurprisingly Prince Harry's relationship with his brother Prince William, with their fallout dominating the headlines these past few years. 

While speaking to Bradby about how his relationship with Prince William has changed over time, Harry spoke about their sibling rivalry, William's reported warnings about Meghan, a 2019 physical altercation and their ultimate fallout. 

Since the Sussex family's relocation to America, the brothers have barely seen each other face to face, according to reports. But after the tragic death of Prince Philip in 2021, Prince Harry returned and the two brothers were reunited at their grandfather's funeral, and photographed walking together.

During his ITV interview this week, Harry opened up about their conversation at the funeral, and the "secret code" that William used to communicate with his brother. 

Writing in the book that William pulled him back so the two could have a private word, Harry recalled his brother telling him he loved him and that he wanted him to be happy.

"Harold you must listen to me, I just want you to be happy, Harold, I swear, I swear on mummy’s life," Prince William reportedly said. 

This, Harry explained in the ITV interview, was a "special code" used between the brothers - a phrase only used when they urgently needed to be heard by the other. 

"It stopped me cold, as it was meant to," Harry recalled to Bradby. "Not because he'd used it, but because it didn’t work. I simply didn’t believe him."

Prince Harry: The Interview is available to watch in full on ITV.

We will continue to update this story.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.