"The Forbidden Chronicles: Did Prince Harry Plot Against King William II?"




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In one of the final scenes in The Crown, Prince William (Ed McVey) and Prince Harry (Luther Ford) are sitting outside their dad's house, discussing his upcoming wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles.


Prince Harry mentions to William that he's heard that the Queen may use her wedding toast to announce plans of her abdication (which, never happened), in which case, "it would be you next."


"That'd make you William the...." Harry says, before William chimes in and says, "fifth."Harry replies, "Better than Second. He was assassinated by his brother.""Was he?" William chuckles.


"Who, would you believe, was also called Prince Harry. He had William killed in a shooting 'accident' and galloped off to Winchester to claim the phone for himself. Don't worry, mate. I wouldn't do that to you," Harry says.


Wait, what?!


King William II, the third son of William the Conqueror, was known as William Rufus. He reigned as King of England from 1087 until his death in 1100, at which point his younger brother, Prince Henry, succeeded him as King Henry I. But did Henry have William assassinated?


Here's what we know: On August 2, 1100, King William went hunting in the New Forest in southern England, joined by his brother, other nobles, and huntsmen. He was shot with an arrow by Sir Walter Tirel (also spelled Tyrell), supposedly accidentally, and died, and then Henry "was crowned three days after his brother's death, against the possibility that his eldest brother Robert might claim the English throne on his imminent return from the Crusade."


According to the Reading Museum, "His death has been much debated. Was it an accident or was Tirel an assassin working for Henry I? With their eldest brother out of the country, William Rufus’ quick death created the perfect opportunity for Henry to seize the throne."


We'll never know what actually happened between King William II and his brother Prince Henry (who, by all accounts, was Henry, not Harry), but the scene in The Crown is clearly meant to foreshadow the strained relationship between the modern-day William and Harry.