Prince Harry angry at William's intervention in his marriage to Meghan Markle

Prince William, The Duke of  Cambridge, sought  Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer's help to stop Prince Harry from rushing into marriage to Meghan Markle, according to the bombshell new book.

Robert Lacey - a distinguished royal historian and adviser to TV's The Crown - claims, Harry introduced Meghan to his father and his grandmother, who did not object. The problem was William.

Meghan Markle, former 'Suits' star, came into Harry's life in  2016. The Duke of Sussex reportedly sensed in Meghan the quirks and originalities that made her such a similar character to his mother Diana.

On the other hand, William was worried that his younger was going too fast in his courtship and he didn't shrink from saying so when Harry began talking about getting hitched.

'This all seems to be moving rather quickly,' William was said to have remarked to the Duke of Sussex doubtfully, on the testimony of more than one friend. 'Are you sure?'

It added that Harry could not help but wonder whether William was really concerned about his pleasure - or whether he was, once again and as per usual, thinking about the make-up and fortunes of 'the Firm' whose boss he would become one day?

The response from Harry offended pushback - and after several more peppery reactions, William approached to his uncle Charles Spencer for help.

Diana's younger brother had played his best role as an honorary godfather to both boys in the years since the death of their mother, and their uncle agreed with William to see what he could do.

According to the author, the result of the Spencer intervention was an even more bitter explosion. Once again Harry refused to slow down.

He didn't blame his uncle. He understood why Diana's brother should want to help. Yet he was furious with his elder brother for dragging other family members into the row.

There would be patch-ups and reconciliations, especially when a public show of unity was required. But that anger and mistrust - that distance - has lasted to the present day.

Even in the fierceness of their disharmony, William and Harry could clearly see and agree on some of the things that they needed to do next - extracting themselves from each other's pockets for a start, and setting up their homes more separately.

The saddest separation in many ways came from the two brothers' decision to split up the Royal Foundation, the thriving charitable enterprise that they had created ten years earlier to promote their various good causes.