Why Kate Middleton Might ‘Try to Help’ Prince William and Prince Harry Reconcile Amid the Sussexes’ U.K. Move
2 min readTHE RUNDOWN
- Kate Middleton and Prince William’s relationship with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry remains strained as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex prepare to move back to the U.K. temporarily.
- Sources said that William is not yet open to reconciliation with Harry, though one insider suggested Kate could change that.
- Meghan and Harry reportedly “blindsided” the royal family with their decision to return.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s move back to the U.K. will inevitably change the royal family’s dynamic, but at this point, Kate Middleton and Prince William remain guarded. The BBC and People report that William’s relationship with his younger brother remains strained following Harry’s public commentary about him and the royal family. A family friend told the BBC that William is not open to reconciliation yet.
“William is very stubborn,” the source explained. “To feel cheated by your own brother has been painful. He can’t just put it behind him.”
“Having Harry nearby won’t change the mood,” a former colleague of William’s added. “William will need time.”
The BBC noted that Kate and William’s Kensington Palace team has been “tight-lipped” following news of Meghan and Harry’s return, offering no official comment. “Their team would not be drawn into conversations about Harry and Meghan,” the outlet wrote. “Their strategy is clearly to just carry on with royal business.”
A source told People that the move could change things long-term, though. Harry and William repairing their relationship “would never happen with [Harry] in America,” the insider explained. “This gives them opportunity to try and mend that bridge.” The two brothers will have more opportunities to see each other “whether they want it or not,” the source added.
The insider suggested that Kate could help facilitate the conversation: “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. She would want to see that healed, as any wife would. This gives them opportunity to try and mend that bridge.”
On July 15, a source gave People a brutal update on William and Harry’s relationship: The bond between them is “so broken,” they said.
A second source added, “I thought it would have perhaps eased a little bit by now, to be honest. But there has been no movement, especially on William’s side. There is no contact.”
When news broke of Meghan and Harry’s move, a royal insider told Entertainment Tonight that the royal family was “blindsided” by the couple’s decision. The Telegraph additionally reported that Kate and William were informed of the move prior to news breaking publicly. The couple has not commented on the Sussexes’ return, though they were photographed earlier today at Balmoral, where they visit King Charles III each summer.