Prince Harry is not believed to have reconciled with the Prince and Princess of Wales following his return to the UK with Meghan Markle and their two children. The Duke of Sussex once described Kate Middleton as like the sister he had never had, but years of tensions between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family have fractured their relationship beyond belief.
Harry has returned to the UK with wife Meghan Markle and their children Archie and Lilibet, six years after the couple quit both the country and their roles as senior working royals for a new life in Montecito, California. The duke and duchess said they wanted to become financially independent and embarked on a series of high-profile interviews with people like Oprah Winfrey, detailing their time as working royals. They also had their own Netflix series, Finding Freedom, about their experiences, and Harry published his bombshell memoir, Spare, where he made a number of allegations about his royal relatives.
Busy Return to the UK
Since their return, the couple have been busy, with Harry attending the WellChild Awards and making an emotional speech on stage while Meghan caught up with fellow American ex-pat, Ellen DeGeneres, in a country pub. The duchess has also shared a social media video of the family's activities since they returned to the UK, including walks in the woods, Harry fishing on a pond with his children, and Lilibet riding her bike while Archie runs along beside her.
Meanwhile, Archie and Lilibet have already started at their second school since moving across the Atlantic after Meghan and Harry's security team raised concerns about the journey to and from the classroom at their first choice. While Harry is believed to have built bridges with his father, King Charles, on previous visits to the UK, his relationship with William is not thought to have improved since Megxit. The Prince and Princess of Wales are said to be keen to avoid any "drama" surrounding Harry and Meghan's return and are keen to "look to the future".
Strained Relations Since Before Wedding
Tensions between the two couples, who were once dubbed the Fab Four, are thought to have been strained since before Harry and Meghan's lavish Windsor wedding back in 2018. It has long been reported that Kate and Meghan had a disagreement regarding Princess Charlotte's bridesmaid dress for the 2018 celebrations. Previous reports suggested Meghan made a heavily pregnant Kate cry, while Meghan used her Oprah Winfrey interview to claim the opposite happened.
In his memoir, Spare, Harry refuted the claims Kate was the one left in tears and claimed it was actually his wife. The book claims that Kate was told to bring Charlotte and the dress to a tailor but the then Duchess of Cambridge said that the dress needed to be remade, with her wedding dress designer agreeing with this. However, it is reportedly later claimed that Kate did take Charlotte to the tailor, with Harry writing he later found wife-to-be Meghan in tears following this. He is said to add that Kate later apologised and gave Meghan flowers and a card.
First Meeting Recollections Differ
The Sussexes also have several accounts of William and Kate's initial reaction to Harry's relationship with Meghan. In their engagement interview, the Duke of Sussex said: "William was longing to meet her, and so was Catherine. So, you know, being our neighbours, we managed to get that in a couple of - well, quite a few times now, and Catherine has been absolutely.." "She's been wonderful," Meghan interjected.
But when the couple talked about the encounter in their Netflix series, Finding Freedom, their recollections seemed to have changed. Meghan described their first meeting as "jarring". She said: "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. 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 very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside. There is a forward-facing way of being, and then you close the door and go 'You can relax now', but that formality carries over on both sides. And that was surprising to me."
Harry also recalled that initial meeting in his memoir, Spare. He said Meghan cooked and all seemed to be going well as they chatted about Wimbledon and the legal drama Suits. He said: "The only possibly discordant note I could think of was the marked difference in how the two women dressed, which both of them seemed to notice. Meg: ripped jeans, barefoot. Kate: done up to the nines. No big deal, I thought."
Kate's One-Word Reaction
The Princess of Wales' feelings to the claims made by her brother and sister-in-law were summed up in just one word. Sources close to the Princess have revealed how she was left "baffled" by Harry's personal attacks, but was left unruffled because she was "totally immersed" in her work "to take much notice". In fact, it has been claimed Kate was less keen than husband William to persuade Harry and Meghan to remain within the royal fold when they announced their plans six years ago. The princess is believed to have felt their decision was "inevitable", while William was "saddened" at the development.
