The Princess of Wales and Prince Harry were once extraordinarily close. Catherine and the Duke of Sussex were often photographed sharing laughs during official royal engagements, with Prince William and Harry even describing Kate as the "sister he had never had".
Yet even before Prince Harry's departure from both his senior royal duties and the UK, friction between the two couples had begun to simmer beneath the surface.
Wedding dress clash
One of the earliest flashpoints emerged shortly before Harry's grand Windsor wedding to Meghan in 2018, sparked by a disagreement over Princess Charlotte's bridesmaid dress.
Initial reports suggested Catherine and Meghan had clashed over the dresses for the flower girls, amongst whom was Catherine's young daughter Princess Charlotte, with early accounts suggesting the Duchess of Sussex had reduced the Princess of Wales to tears, reports the Daily Star.
However, in her candid interview with Oprah Winfrey reflecting on her time as a working royal, Meghan presented an entirely different account. When questioned about whether Catherine had been moved to tears, Meghan maintained that "the reverse happened" during what proved to be a fraught wedding week.
"A few days before the wedding, she was upset about something pertaining - yes, the issue was correct - about flower girl dresses, and it made me cry, and it really hurt my feelings," said Meghan.
"Everyone in the institution knew it wasn't true. I am not sharing that piece about Kate to be in any way disparaging about her. I would hope that she would want that to be corrected."
Harry's account in Spare
Within his memoir, Spare, Harry personally addresses what he claims transpired during the incident. The Duke of Sussex claims the episode was predominantly instigated by Catherine, who became frustrated at waiting a full day for Meghan's response regarding the 'problematic' outfit prior to the 2018 Royal wedding.
He stated that Meghan's proposal to take the dress to a tailor available at Kensington Palace "wasn't sufficient" and Catherine maintained "all the dresses need to be remade".
In the lead-up to their wedding day, Harry said Meghan was simultaneously managing concerns over Charlotte's dress while navigating the turmoil involving her father, Thomas Markle - ultimately leaving her "sobbing on the floor". Harry wrote: "Meg didn't reply to Kate straight away. Yes, she had endless wedding-related texts, but mostly she was dealing with the chaos surrounding her father. So the next morning she texted Kate that our tailor was standing by."
Return to the UK
The relationship between both couples continued to deteriorate approaching Megxit, when Harry and Meghan announced their intention to achieve financial independence and depart the UK for Montecito in California.
The pair participated in several prominent interviews and featured in their own Netflix documentary series, Finding Freedom, chronicling their experiences within the monarchy, alongside Harry releasing his memoir.
However, in August they delivered the bombshell news they were relocating back to the UK. Since then, Archie and Lilibet have been registered at two British schools following worries from Harry and Meghan's security personnel regarding the commute to and from the couple's preferred educational establishment for their youngsters.
Harry has also made an appearance at the WellChild Awards, a charity particularly meaningful to him, while Meghan encountered fellow American expatriate, Ellen Degeneres in a countryside public house.
While the Duke of Sussex is understood to have mended fences with his father, King Charles, during trips back to the UK in recent months, his rapport with the Prince and Princess of Wales is not believed to have shown signs of improvement.
Kate's reported view
Prince William was reportedly "saddened" by his brother's choice to relinquish his position as a senior working royal back in 2020, though he and Catherine are now understood to be eager to sidestep any "drama" surrounding Harry and Meghan's homecoming and are resolved to "look to the future".
The Princess of Wales, who had previously been regarded as the mediating influence between the feuding Windsor siblings, was reportedly less inclined to convince Harry and Meghan to remain, considering their choice to stand down as "inevitable".
In his book, William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, Mirror royal editor, Russell Myers says the Princess of Wales is reported to have felt her brother-in-law would crave more than serving as a "bit-part player" in the monarchy, given his substantial differences with her husband.
The publication further reveals how Kate grew to consider Harry and Meghan as "not to be trusted" in the aftermath of their interview with Oprah. It additionally asserts the future queen, who had been entirely prepared to welcome Meghan upon her entry into the Royal Family, came to feel the Sussexes "had an agenda" and their behaviour exceeded merely being "difficult".
