How Kate Middleton is helping heal the rift between Princes William and Harry
She wants the brothers to move on and put the past behind them
It’s been over 24 years since the two young princes walked behind their mother’s coffin, with their father, uncle and grandfather by their side. Back then, they were brothers united. But last week, it was a very different dynamic, as Prince William and Prince Harry reunited at St George’s Chapel in Windsor to pay their final respects to that same grandfather.
While Prince Philip’s private funeral was all about saying goodbye to the royal family’s patriarch and being there for the Queen, events held extra significance, as they offered the chance for William and Harry to heal their rift. At least, that’s how Kate Middleton saw it. According to insiders, the Duchess of Cambridge has been urging her husband and her brother-in-law to talk things through, after Harry and wife Meghan Markle’s explosive tell-all chat with Oprah Winfrey last month. And while there’s still tension and hurt on both sides, we’re told she did get some way to building bridges.
“Harry and William were in touch ahead of the funeral, and Harry intended to have dinner with William and Kate,” says a royal insider, after Harry flew into London last week. Meghan – who’s six-and-a-half months pregnant – didn’t join him, as she’d been advised by her doctors to avoid foreign travel. “Kate was the instigator of the discussions, as she wanted the brothers to rebuild the tight bond they used to share with each other. The three of them used to be so close – she wants that back for all involved. Even though Kate was hurt by what Meghan and Harry said in the interview, she’s willing to move on from it.”
The Sussexes’ controversial chat with Oprah sent shockwaves around the world, especially as Meghan – despite praising her sister-in-law as a “good person” – also alleged that Kate had made her cry during a flower girl dress fitting in the run-up to her wedding. Before Harry met Meghan, he was famously close with his brother and Kate – the trio were often seen together at royal engagements and sharing jokes behind the scenes. But, as we all know, things have turned shockingly frosty since then – with Meghan and Harry’s decision to quit the royal family last year and move to America causing a massive schism between them.
According to our source, Kate and William are both keen to make things right with Harry – but there’s a caveat: they don’t want to see any of their private discussions go public. We’re told they were dismayed last month when, following the Oprah interview, Harry and Meghan’s friend and broadcaster Gayle King reported that Harry’s subsequent discussions with William and Charles were “not productive”. This time, they’ll be insisting that everything stays between them.
“It’s been made clear to Harry and Meghan that the royals are keen to put the events of the last few months behind them,” we’re told. “But they’ve been told the family must be able to trust them. If Harry goes back to the US and starts talking about private matters – or friends of theirs speak to the press – then they’re not sure how they can possibly move forward.” n