Prince Harry and Princess Kate were once as close as can be. Harry spent a great deal of time with both William and his wife and he forged a sweet connection with the future Queen, describing her as “the sister I’ve never had and always wanted”.
But all that came crashing down following the release of Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare, completely shattering their once-unshakable bond.
The Duke used the book to level a number of accusations against the Royal Family – and Kate was included. He partially blamed both William and Kate for his decision to wear a Nazi costume to a party, claimed that Kate was “on edge” because she was now “going to be compared to, and forced to compete with, Meg”, and that Kate and Meghan’s row over bridesmaids’ dresses left Meghan “sobbing on the floor”.
Both William and Kate are said to have upset and betrayed by the allegations – and Harry came under fire for airing such personal attacks, knowing that the royals would not publicly respond.
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In his retelling of the infamous disagreement over Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress, Harry seemed to suggest that Kate was unwilling to compromise, despite Meghan’s obvious distress. An insider suggested that the memoir “paints Kate as rigid and overly formal, contrasting Meghan’s laid-back Californian approach”.
However, many were quick to stand by Princess Kate – and criticise the Duke for his depiction of her. Royal photographer Arthur Edwards was among those to speak out. “Harry has publicly targeted his sister-in-law in a way that’s not just damaging to her but to the entire family dynamic, he said.
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, noted: “Harry’s decision to drag Kate into this narrative was both unnecessary and hurtful. She’s always been the epitome of grace under pressure, and this incident paints a distorted picture of who she really is.”
Kate is said to have been deeply hurt by Harry’s actions. But she has chosen to remain silent on the matter, instead focusing on her royal duties and her young family. She has also faced a devastating cancer battle – though she is now happily in remission.
Of course, it wasn’t just Spare that caused issues with the Sussexes. They spoke out against the royals in the infamous Oprah interview, and in Meghan and Harry’s Netflix documentary they again took aim at Kate, accusing her of being overly-formal on their first meeting. “Even when Will and Kate came over, and I met her for the first time, they came over for dinner, I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot,” Meghan said.
“Like I was a hugger, I’ve always been a hugger. I didn’t realise that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits. I guess I started to understand really quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside.”
Kate is not the only one impacted by the Sussexes’s comments. Prince William is believed to have been greatly angered by his brother, with his attacks on his wife said to have been the final straw for the future king.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl said: “I do know that William was very angry that Harry had drawn Kate into it when he felt Kate was blameless throughout. She acted very much as the peacekeeper, she tried to get the brothers back on an even keel, and for Kate to be dragged into this mucky saga was upsetting for her and certainly did infuriate William.”
And, according to The Sunday Times , the Prince of Wales is ‘unlikely to forgive Harry anytime soon’ because he simply can’t get past the comments Harry made about his wife Kate. “William is unlikely to forgive Harry any time soon for his slights against Kate in Spare, among them the suggestion she was cold towards Meghan. Those close to William say his brother rarely comes up in conversation.”