What Kate Middleton Is Prioritizing Amid Meghan Markle’s U.K. Move
3 min readTHE RUNDOWN
- As Meghan Markle settles into her family’s new U.K. home, a source spoke about how the move might change her relationship with Kate Middleton.
- A royal insider also shared Kate and Prince William’s perspective on Harry and Meghan’s U.K. move and why the Sussexes aren’t their priority at the moment.
- Meghan and Harry’s relationships with Kate and William have been strained for years, particularly after they released their Netflix docuseries and Harry’s memoir Spare.
After moving back to the U.K. last week, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and their kids, Archie and Lilibet, are settling into their new home. While the royal family has made no public gesture to welcome them back, it’s only a matter of time until the Duke and Duchess of Sussex cross paths with them. A source spoke to People about the status of Meghan and Kate Middleton’s relationship in particular, noting that while they are not close now, “there are bound to be moments where their worlds overlap, and everyone will be watching how those encounters unfold.”
For the moment, changing that dynamic isn’t Kate’s focus, though. A palace insider opened up more about her and Prince William’s perspective, detailing the toll of what the family went through after Kate’s cancer diagnosis in 2024. (In January 2025, the Princess of Wales announced that her cancer was in remission.)
“They have suffered a lot,” the source said of these past few years. They added that Kate and William’s current priorities are their royal duties, Kate’s recovery, and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
“They have been dutiful, doing what they do well, and keeping the family together,” the insider added. “Anything else, from their point of view, isn’t critical.”
When news first broke of Harry and Meghan’s move, The Telegraph reported that Kate and William had already been informed but didn’t specify when. A royal insider later told Entertainment Tonight that the royal family was “blindsided” by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to return.
On August 21, a source suggested to People that Kate could be a unifier for William and Harry, whose own relationship is very strained.
The insider said that Harry’s move will give the brothers more opportunity to interact “whether they want it or not.”
“Catherine may step into that breach and try to help, too, because she knows how important family is and how important Harry is to William,” the source added. “She would want to see that healed, as any wife would. This gives them opportunity to try and mend that bridge.”
As for Meghan? It will take her time to adjust to her new chapter—and her focus is currently on her children as they make this transition and begin at their new school in September.
On Friday, a source told People that the move is temporary. As Meghan and Harry said farewell to their friends in California, “it wasn’t a goodbye forever,” the insider explained. “It was much more, ‘We’ll be back, but this is what we’re doing right now.’ They’ve been planning this for some time, and they feel it’s the right thing for their family, but that doesn’t mean leaving was easy.”
“Meghan really loves their life in Montecito and their home there,” the source continued. “They know it’s going to take a little bit of time for everyone to settle in and adjust. There’s excitement about what’s ahead too, especially for the kids. They’re really happy for them and for everything they’ll get to experience.”
