Prince Harry has refuted claims that he intentionally attempted to upstage Prince William by revealing his own quasi-royal visit to Canada as his elder brother embarked on a five-day tour to Brazil for the Earthshot Prize.

While one royal commentator deemed the timing ‘predictable,’ a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex dismissed notions of sibling rivalry as the cause behind the announcement.

Harry’s representatives explained that the scheduling was due to his lack of access to the same security and protection typically provided to active members of the Royal Family.

“This limitation means that the window for announcing event details is significantly narrower compared to His Majesty the King or the Prince of Wales,” his spokesperson elaborated.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Monday to celebrate the fifth anniversary of his environmental initiative, the Earthshot Prize.

But as William began his first engagement at Sugarloaf Mountain, his younger brother’s office in California announced a trip to Canada this week ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

The royal brothers, pictured in 2018, have a long-reported rift which shows no sign of abating, but the Duke’s spokesperson insisted the visit had been almost a year in the making

William poses for a picture on Paqueta island, during an official visit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Duke of Sussex’s visit to Toronto to meet with veterans, members of the armed forces community and military charities directly clashes with William ‘s trip to South America.

The Brazil visit marks a pivotal and personally important moment for the heir to the throne – who jetted out of the UK after he and his father stripped his uncle Andrew of all his titles and his Windsor home.

Royal commentator Victoria Arbiter said the the timing of Harry’s announcement was ‘inevitable if not predictable.’

But a spokesman for the Duke of Sussex has hit back, declaring: ‘The events were planned nearly a year ago.

‘The date of the main event, the dinner, is set by the charity, not Prince Harry.

‘The period of Remembrancetide traditionally extends from the 1-11 November and has done since 1918, over 100 years. He can’t choose to move those dates.’

The spokesman added: ‘We are always guided – as to when we can announce trips like this, by the advice given to us by his private security advisers and the event’s security team.

‘This visit, months in the planning, marks a return to a city that has a special place in the Duke’s heart, having played host to the Invictus Games back in 2017.’

Prince Harry has announced a trip to Canada this week, clashing with his brother Prince William’s Earthshot Prize awards ceremony. Harry is making his the journey to mark Remembrancetide, the two-week period leading up to Remembrance Sunday.

The British royal household was informed of Harry’s Canada plans in advance – a sign that communications between the King and his youngest son are open again. 

But Harry and William, however, are understood not to be talking.

They have a long reported rift which shows no sign of abating.

Harry will attend a lunch with the military charity True Patriot Love Foundation on Wednesday and then a private fundraising function with the Halo Trust in the evening, the same day as William’s Earthshot Prize awards, the cornerstone of his ambitious drive to save the planet.

The next day, November 6, the Duke will visit the Veterans Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, one of the largest veteran care facilities in Canada, and then in the evening, attend the 17th annual True Patriot Love National Tribute Dinner in celebration of military members, veterans and their families.

Harry stepped down as a working senior royal in 2020 during Megxit and moved to the US.

The Duke, who served in Afghanistan, was invited to Canada by the True Patriot Love Foundation.