Royal insiders have revealed what truly happened behind closed doors in the run-up to Megxit, and why an early gut feeling about the duchess proved accurate. A new biography, William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story by Russell Myers, sheds light on the 'Fab Four' dynamic and the breakdown that followed.
The 'Fab Four' era was short-lived
In February 2018, a surge of excitement rippled through royal fans as Prince William, Princess Catherine, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle appeared together on stage to announce Meghan as a fourth patron of the Royal Foundation. The two couples were quickly dubbed the 'Fab Four', and the future of the Firm appeared to be in safe hands.
Yet, significantly, it would turn out to be their sole official joint charity engagement. Just two years later, Harry and Meghan would abandon royal duties and launch a series of very public attacks on his family.
Kate's three-word verdict on Meghan
Much has been speculated about William and Kate's first meeting with Meghan, though there have been discrepancies regarding memories of their first interaction. During Harry and Meghan's engagement interview, Harry 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.." Meghan interjected: "She's been wonderful."
However, in their Netflix series, Meghan described their first meeting as "jarring", recalling she was in ripped jeans and barefoot, and that her hugger nature was "really jarring for a lot of Brits". Harry also recalled in his memoir, Spare, that the only discordant note was the "marked difference in how the two women dressed".
It seems the Princess approached the meeting with some caution. While she found Meghan 'friendly', she highlighted the differences between them by noting there was a 'touch of California' about the Suits actress, Myers writes.
Harry and Meghan 'not to be trusted'
Kate showed less enthusiasm than William in trying to stop Harry and Meghan from stepping back from royal duties, and viewed Harry abandoning his role as "inevitable". Having seen the deterioration in the relationship, the future queen eventually felt she "could do no more to bring the brothers together" - despite previously acting as a "voice of reason". Furthermore, she regarded the Sussexes as "not to be trusted" following their explosive Oprah Winfrey interview.
A source told Myers: "The whole situation with the Sussexes was just very sad and just as Philip had a degree of empathy and understanding with Catherine for coming from outside the family at the beginning, I would say Catherine had that for Meghan as well, at least at the start and she did do a lot to help her integrate into the family in the beginning. But Meghan simply acted like she didn't need or want her help, it was very matter of fact and you could say she just dismissed her, which hurt Catherine. There was a lot of sadness there, but that being said, she was very clear that any engagement with Harry or Meghan should be with the utmost of caution because it was obvious that they weren't to be trusted."
Kate and Meghan's disagreement that sparked their 'bitter' feud
While relations between the two brothers had been steadily deteriorating, a clash involving Kate and Meghan proved to be a crucial turning point, according to the book. Referring to Harry's demands for royal protection, Myers writes that the Duke's worries were heightened when Meghan "became a target on social media" due to her biracial heritage. Harry demanded action, but royal aides said they were powerless. He then turned to royal protection teams funded by the Home Office, but was told protection would not be provided until after marriage. Harry appealed to his father and brother to intervene, but Prince Charles insisted he could not become involved in a government decision. Harry was well aware that Catherine had received unofficial guidance and round-the-clock protection as a girlfriend, leading to a row that ignited a long-running feud.
William's anguish over Harry's 'paranoid' transformation
In 2019, during a royal tour of South Africa, a documentary with ITV's Tom Bradby showed Meghan candidly confessing she had been struggling, while Harry disclosed he and his brother were on "different paths". According to Myers, the programme cemented something in William's mind, exposing how drastically things had changed. William felt Harry had become "paranoid" - despite his own attempts to support him.
A source close to William told Myers: "He [William] felt as though somewhere down the line, perhaps it is impossible to even say when, that he lost his brother. He became paranoid, angry, obsessive and firmly rooted in the past. There's no doubt, at that time at least, there was a lot of love and support available for Harry."
It has been extensively reported - and Harry has himself acknowledged - that William urged his younger brother to tread carefully with Meghan. The author quotes an insider as saying: "It's easy to forget now, given everything that has gone on. But William did find Meghan quite refreshing at first. He was genuinely happy for Harry and only wanted the best for him."
