Inside Kate Middleton and Harry's tense relationship as royal flies back to UK
Prince Harry has flown back to the UK following the news that King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer.
Much has been made of his return, with speculation as to whether the monarch's condition might prompt a reconciliation between Harry and his brother, Prince William.
Of course, it's not just Harry's relationship with William that remains fractured following his public criticisms of the royals; his previously close bond with Princess Kate has also been left in tatters.
In his book Endgame, Omid Scobie stated that it is now beyond repair, with a source close to the Sussexes claiming that Kate no longer trusts her brother-in-law and that there is no going back.
Harry and Kate used to be incredibly close. Following the news of the King's diagnosis, we take a look at their friendship over the years - and see how it faltered.
Warning as popular food and drink ‘increase risk of cancer death by up to 30%’
'The sister I always wanted'
Kate started dating William in 2003 and quickly developed a bond with Harry, who was still a teenager at the time. In his book Spare, Harry revealed that he had private worries about Kate taking his brother away from him. But when the news of their engagement hit, Harry publicly shared his excitement. "I am delighted that my brother has popped the question! It means I get a sister, which I have always wanted," he said.
They became a trio and would attend royal events together, competing in races, going on trips abroad and spending time on Kate and Will's residence out of the public eye. After their wedding, however, Harry claimed in his book that he felt like an outsider and a 'non-person' as William and Kate were granted more belongings, land and roles.
Tearful wedding row
In 2016, Harry met Meghan and was thrilled to become a 'foursome'. He wrote in his memoir that it had been his 'dream for a long time'. However, William allegedly told him it 'may not happen'. William and Kate's official statement read: "It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together." Then the first signs of trouble started to surface.
In the run up to Harry and Meghan's 2018 wedding, there were reports of a tearful row at a bridesmaid dress fitting. Source initially claimed Meghan had made Kate cry. Three years later, Meghan refuted those allegations, insisting to Oprah Winfrey that it had been 'the other way round'. When their documentary aired, and Meghan recalled the moment she first met Kate, it sparked controversy again.
Meghan explained she had tried to hug Kate and didn't realise "the formality on the outside carried through on the inside". At the time, a source claimed those comments were a painful reminder of the space that had grown between Kate and Harry. "Kate feels hurt and betrayed that Harry would do this to her, too, especially as the pair used to be so close," a source told Us Weekly.
A 'missing bond'
In April 2019, Kate and Harry attended the Anzac Day service together, in a rare joint engagement without William. That year, Harry told Tom Bradbury in his documentary: "Part of this role and part of this job, and this family, being under the pressure that it's under, inevitably, you know, stuff happens. But look, we're brothers, we'll always be brothers. And we're certainly on different paths at the moment, but I'll always be there for him, as I know he'll always be there for me."
A source told US Weekly that Kate hoped William and Harry would "eventually heal the rift and let bygones be bygones". in 2019 appeared harmonious but royal experts claimed not all was well behind closed doors, with the brothers' relationship under pressure. In January 2020, Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping back from their roles and working royals - a topic that allegedly left him and William in a physical fight.
He claimed in his Netflix series that his older brother left him 'terrified' when he 'screamed and shouted' in his face, as he tried to make a deal to leave the UK. A source then said Kate 'missed' her close bond with Harry. "She wishes she could speak to Harry. She misses him and fears she'll never be close to him again," the source told US Weekly.
Kate is 'key' to healing rift
In 2021, former royal butler said he believed that Kate 'holds the key' to bringing William and Harry back together. "She's the person that is going to pull these boys back together, there's a lot of work to do, because a lot of things have been said," he said. "She's the answer because she's standing in between both of them and seeing this unfold."
In December 2022, Kate's uncle Gary Goldsmith claimed Kate and William were 'deeply wounded' by Harry and Meghan's Netflix documentary. "They love Harry, they miss him," he said. "He is family and, despite this attack, I believe they'd still welcome him and Meghan back. There's nothing Catherine would want more than for the brothers to be reconciled because that's the real love story here."
Mum with terminal cancer wants to see son 'write his first word' before she dies
But in Scobie's Endgame, the royal author wrote there is "no going back" for Kate and Harry. He said that a source who knows the family told him: "She was close to Harry, and she will always look back fondly on those moments... and the relationship he had with their children... but to her, there is no way she could ever trust them after all their interviews."
According to the author, the Sussexes' departure "put more pressure" on the Waleses to "fill the working void left behind", which added to the stress and tension between the two couples. Scobie, who co-wrote a biography on Meghan and Harry titled Finding Freedom, said the Waleses are no longer concerned with "Harry's drama".
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
