Prince Harry's Invictus Games made Prince William 'jealous,' but royal's future is 'dubious': expert

Prince William, the heir to the British throne, has no reason to be green with envy these days, one royal expert says.

In the ABC News special now streaming on Hulu, "Prince Harry’s Mission: Life, Family and Invictus Games," British journalist Robert Jobson said William "was surprised" and jealous over how successful his younger brother’s passion project has been.

British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that William, the Prince of Wales, may have been jealous in the past, but things are different today.

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"While Prince Harry has a dubious future at best, William’s future is more solid and secure than ever," said Fordwich. "William is at the top of the most recent YouGov poll in terms of popularity, as is his much-loved wife."

"The list goes on from celebrities wishing to be with him at the recent BAFTA awards to Hollywood A-listers keeping their distance from Harry and [his wife] Meghan," Fordwich said. "Nowadays, there’s nothing for William to be jealous about."

The special highlights the Duke of Sussex’s recent interview with "Good Morning America." The father of two was recently on a three-day trip to Canada for the Invictus Games’ one-year countdown celebration.

Jobson noted that the Invictus Games has been the 39-year-old’s "No. 1 passion project."

"It’s been very successful since its onset," Jobson said, as quoted by People magazine. "It doesn’t come cheap, it costs a lot of money, and he’s been able to continue to raise that money throughout this period, which is impressive."

"But I think there was a degree of jealousy about how well it has gone," Jobson said. "I do think that William was surprised how much this has been such a success and how much money was being thrown into it and how many governments were getting involved."

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Modeled after the Warrior Games in the United States, Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014 as a Paralympic-style event designed to inspire military veterans around the world as they work to overcome battlefield injuries. Harry was a former captain in the British Army.

The outlet reported that the Invictus Games were created when the royal was patron of The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. It was the charitable organization shared by the royal brothers and William’s wife, Kate Middleton.

Meghan Markle, a former American actress, became the Duchess of Sussex when she married Harry in 2018. She joined the foundation as its fourth patron following their marriage.

The two couples split offices in 2019 when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the foundation. They planned to create their own philanthropic organization apart from the now-Prince and Princess of Wales.

In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals and moved to California. At the time, they alleged palace officials were insensitive to Markle’s mental health struggles as she attempted to navigate royal life. The couple also alleged that the duchess faced racist attitudes from the U.K. press, which contributed to their decision to leave the country.

Harry has continued his work with the Invictus Games.

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According to the outlet, William and other members of the royal family attended the first Invictus Games, which took place in London. Queen Elizabeth II supported the second cycle of the event by appearing in a comedic sketch with Harry, starring President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. The outlet noted that in recent years, the royals haven’t been involved in the event.

In the special, royal commentator Victoria Murphy pointed out that with Harry no longer being a working royal, the Invictus Games "no longer sits under the umbrella of organizations that the royal family officially are part of."

"When they were boys, William, more cautious always by nature, was reported by those close to them to be somewhat jealous of Harry’s naturally rambunctious nature," said Fordwich. "Fast-forward, the success of the Invictus Games indeed came as a surprise to many in royal circles, not the least of whom was Prince William. But much has changed since then, the most notable contact from when they were last seen in relatively close proximity."

The relationship between William and Harry, which was strained by the time Harry made his exit, worsened when the Duke of Sussex publicly detailed his grievances. Harry also discussed his sibling rivalry in his memoir, "Spare."

Harry has had a troubled relationship with his family since he quit royal duties and moved to California. He showed up alone for his father’s coronation in May but left as soon as the ceremony ended to return to the U.S. for his son’s birthday.

"At their father’s coronation, Harry looked profoundly awkward and decidedly out of place like a spare part at the coronation," said Fordwich. "[He appeared] ill at ease, then grinned and nodded as he saw some he knew while walking to his seat at Westminster Abbey."

Following their departure as senior royals, Harry and his wife aired their complaints about life as royals. In 2021, they sat down with Oprah Winfrey for an interview that was viewed by 50 million people globally. After releasing a six-part docuseries on Netflix in 2022, "Spare" hit bookshelves in 2023, quickly becoming a bestseller.

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Harry arrived from California less than 48 hours after Buckingham Palace announced on Feb. 5 that the king had cancer. The visit between the monarch and his younger son at Clarence House was brief as Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, were seen leaving about an hour later.

According to The Times, Harry and his father shared "warm exchanges" during their 45-minute meeting. Reportedly, Harry and his older brother didn’t meet and there were no plans to do so.

"I thought it was really interesting not just that William didn’t want to see Harry when he came over to the U.K., but he was happy for people to know that he had no plans to see him," said Murphy in the special. "I think that says a lot about how significant those hostilities still are."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.