the duchess of cambridge
royal expert Katie nicholl reveals the backlash from the sussexes’ interview has deeply impacted the Duchess of cambridge but insists the royal family still want to make amends
It appeared to be business as usual for the Duchess of Cambridge as she visited School 21 in Stratford, east London, to promote a children’s mental health programme with her husband William last week. But in private, royal expert Katie Nicholl claims Kate, 39, will have been left upset by Prince Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey and will have struggled to deal with events from the past resurfacing.
During the explosive chat, Meghan revealed Kate had made her cry a week before her 2018 wedding due to a row over bridesmaid dresses – although she insisted Kate had apologised with flowers and the pair had made amends. She also claimed a member of the royal family had concerns over her now two-year-old son Archie’s skin colour. Harry, 36, also said his brother William and father Prince Charles were “trapped” by their royal roles.
“This has been a very hard few days for Kate, but she turned up and committed to her work and duty last week,” Katie, who is also the author of Kate: The Future Queen, claims. “People did notice that she appeared downcast and subdued. Behind
closed doors she has been saddened, disappointed and hurt. From what I hear, there are different versions of the bridesmaid story, not just the one Meghan discussed. Kate felt it was all sorted, so to have it brought up again was mortifying. Kate is not in a position to respond and Meghan and Harry know that.
“Kate has never wanted any suggestion of a rift with Meghan to come out in the press, so for this story to be circulating is very hard. Kate is so discreet and respects her personal life. You never hear about her falling out with anyone because she is very careful with how she treats others. Kate and William both feel they were hugely welcoming to Meghan and Harry. Any accusations against the monarchy are accusations against their family. It’s hurtful and they feel let down. Obviously, they still love Harry and Meghan, but this interview has ruffled feathers.”
Meanwhile, royal expert and author of Harry and Meghan’s biography Finding Freedom, Omid Scobie, tells OK! that the couple have no regrets over their interview and knew telling their truth could draw more criticism.
He claims, “I’m sure they knew the interview could make critics even more negative towards them. I was told there was a huge sense of relief their full story was finally out there. Harry and Meghan were negatively impacted by the narrative that pitted the Sussexes against the Cambridges and felt the palace would protect Kate and not her. They felt neither William nor Kate did anything proactive to stop Meghan being painted badly.”
William and Harry have suffered a fractured relationship since Harry and Meghan, 39, who is expecting the couple’s second child, decided to step down as senior royals in early 2020 and relocate across the pond.
Following the interview, sources claimed William, 38, was left “livid”, and his anger was clear to see when he responded to questions at the London event.
When asked by a reporter if the royal family was racist, he replied, “We’re very much not a racist family.” And in regards to his brother, he added, “No I haven’t spoken to him yet but I will do.”
“William is beyond livid with his brother,” claimed Katie. “He, Charles and the Queen held crisis talks in the days following the interview on how to proceed. It’s well documented that the brothers were making steps to reconcile their once close bond, but sources claimed William felt the Oprah interview was the final straw. But despite the anger, they both want to resolve this feud.”
But Omid – who claimed last week that Meghan had sent Kensington Palace aides an email to urge them to set the record straight over the argument with Kate – insists William’s public statement may only spark further confusion as to why he was not more vocal in defence of his sister-in-law earlier.
“What we saw from William is that he’s clearly happy to speak out when he feels passionately to do so,” Omid claims. “So Harry and Meghan might wonder why he didn’t speak out when his sister-in-law was being so negatively portrayed.”
‘william is beyond livid with his brother’