DISTANCE OVER DUTY
The fab four are still no more
It’s a solemn occasion, so beaming smiles would have been inappropriate. Still, the fact the royals looked so glum when they turned out for Remembrance Day events on November 11 didn’t help dispel rumours that relations are still strained between the Cambridges and the Sussexes.
The attendance of princes William and Harry and their wives Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the Festival of Remembrance and then the Remembrance Day service was the first time the
Fab Four have been together in public with the rest of the royals since Harry publicly admitted he and his brother were no longer as close as they had been.
It was a good PR opportunity for the two couples to show they are making the effort to mend fences. But rather than being pictured interacting together, they kept their distance.
At the festival, held at Royal Albert Hall on the Saturday night, the couples arrived separately and sat a long way apart. Kate and William were in prime position beside the Queen, while Meghan and Harry were further back, behind British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
When asked about the couple’s seating arrangements, Kensington Palace pointed out it was protocol, and that they
sat in the same positions last year. However, in previous years the four have been positioned in adjoining seats.
The palace also said protocol was responsible for the fact that Kate and Meghan did not stand next to each other during the service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall the next day.
While William and Harry joined several other senior royals, including their father Prince Charles (70), to take part in the annual wreath-laying ceremony honouring those who have lost their lives in wars, their wives stood on balconies of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which look down on the Cenotaph.
Kate (37) stood next to the Queen and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall on one balcony, while Meghan joined Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Sir Timothy Laurence, Princess Anne’s husband, on another.
It was quickly pointed out that the positions were to do with the fact that each balcony can only hold three people, and that according to the royal pecking order, Kate takes precedence over Meghan (38).
“Although it may have looked like it, they weren’t snubbing each other,” says a palace insider. “As a future queen,
Kate gets to stand with Her Majesty and another future Queen, Camilla. Meghan is further down the food chain.”
One royal observer says it wouldn’t have been appropriate for the two duchesses to be seen laughing and smiling together at the festival the night before, given the fact that Remembrance Day events are very sombre.
“But even just being seen acknowledging each other would have helped quell talk that the brothers and their wives are still not on the best terms.”
Talk of trouble between the four has escalated since March, when they officially separated their joint “court” at Kensington Palace and created their own offices to deal with their royal engagements and the causes they support. Meghan and Harry (35), who were expected to move into a large apartment next to the Cambridges in Kensington Palace, then relocated to Frogmore Cottage in the grounds of Windsor Castle, 40km away.
The last time the brothers and their wives were seen sideby-side was at an impromptu family playdate in July, when William and Harry competed in a charity polo match and Kate and Meghan brought their children − Prince George (6), Princess Charlotte (4), Prince Louis (1) and Archie, now six months old − along to watch.
Last month, while he and Meghan were on tour in South Africa, Harry confirmed during an interview that he and William were no longer that close, and had “good days and bad days”.
“We are certainly on different paths at the moment, but I will always be there for him as I know he will always be there for me.”
In that same interview Harry also spoke out about the pressures placed on his wife since marrying into the family, with Meghan later confirming that she felt vulnerable.
Following their Remembrance Day appearances, the couple are taking a six-week break from royal duties to have some “much-needed family time together”, says a source.
They’re planning on heading to Los Angeles to spend Thanksgiving with Meghan’s mum Doria Ragland (63), and a spokesperson confirmed they will also spend Christmas with her too, with the blessing of the Queen.
“Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, their royal highnesses will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the duchess’ mother.”
Though Her Majesty likes to have all of her family together for Christmas, she accepts that her grandchildren have commitments with their spouses’
families. “William and Kate set a precedent by spending time with the Middletons for Christmas, and the Queen has okayed that,” says the insider.
“But... it [Meghan and Harry having Christmas in the US] might suggest that the rift with William and his family is no closer to being healed.”
There have been suggestions that the Sussexes will go househunting during their US break as they are considering living part of the year in Meghan’s home country.
“This stay in the US could be considered a trial run for a more permanent move,” says another source.
The pair will no doubt welcome a break from the limelight after what has been a difficult year. Although Meghan has supposedly had six months’ maternity leave, returning to work in September, it’s been revealed that she actually worked for much of August, including guest-editing the September issue of Vogue magazine, as well as working on her Smart
Set clothing collection.
Royal reporter Omid Scobie says the duchess has figured out her way of juggling working with looking after Archie.
“A lot of meetings she had at home in Windsor at the kitchen table with Archie nearby.”
Meanwhile, sister-in-law Kate is being held up as a great role model when it comes to balancing royal duties and family life. The mum-of-three has earned the Queen’s respect for the way she manages to appear “happy and in control”, according to biographer Claudia Joseph. “She is likable and relatable and that has made her very popular.”
Kate was spotted last month taking her two older children shopping for Halloween costumes at a supermarket, and even made time to attend a “meet and greet” drinks evening with other parents at George and Charlotte’s London school.
“The Queen is a fan of Kate and her unflappable approach; they share a ‘keep calm and carry on’ approach.”
The bond between the two was clear at the Cenotaph service, with one photo of Kate with the Queen and Camilla (72) being described as iconic for showing the current queen and two future ones.
There were concerns Camilla might not make it to any events, as earlier in the week she missed other engagements thanks to a chest infection. She was due to accompany Harry and Meghan to the Field of Remembrance in the grounds of Westminster Abbey, but had to pull out because of health issues.
“The duchess has been told by her doctor to cancel her engagements owing to a chest infection, which has got progressively worse over the last few days,” said a Clarence House spokesperson.
Camilla, who is a patron of the Poppy Factory, was said to be deeply disappointed at missing the event.
But with a long flight to New Zealand ahead of her, it’s important for Camilla to regain her health given she and Charles have a number of engagements to carry out around the country this week.