The Princess of Wales was left "baffled" by personal criticisms made by Prince Harry, but remained composed as she was "totally immersed" in her duties "to take much notice", sources close to the Princess have disclosed. The revelation comes as Harry and Meghan Markle return to Britain with their children, Archie and Lilibet, six years after stepping back as senior working royals.
Return to the UK
Harry and Meghan have maintained a busy schedule since arriving back, with Harry speaking at the WellChild Awards and Meghan meeting Ellen DeGeneres at a countryside pub. The duchess also shared a social media clip showing woodland strolls, Harry fishing with the children, and Lilibet cycling while Archie jogged alongside her.
Archie and Lilibet have already begun attending their second school since relocating, after security personnel raised concerns about the commute to their initial choice. Harry is understood to have mended fences with his father, King Charles, but his rapport with William is not believed to have strengthened since Megxit.
Strained relationships
The Prince and Princess of Wales are reportedly determined to avoid any "drama" surrounding the Sussexes' homecoming and are eager to "look to the future". Relations between the two couples, once known as the Fab Four, are thought to have become fraught even before the 2018 Windsor wedding.
It has been widely documented that Catherine and Meghan experienced a dispute concerning Princess Charlotte's bridesmaid dress. Earlier accounts indicated Meghan left a heavily pregnant Catherine in tears, while Meghan asserted the reverse occurred during her Oprah Winfrey interview.
Conflicting accounts
In his memoir Spare, Harry disputes claims that Catherine was left tearful and maintains it was his wife. The book alleges Catherine was asked to bring Charlotte and the dress to a seamstress but insisted it required remaking. Harry writes that he later found Meghan in tears following the visit, and that Catherine subsequently apologised with flowers and a card.
The Sussexes also gave differing accounts of William and Catherine's early response to Harry's romance. During their engagement interview, Harry said: "William was longing to meet her, and so was Catherine." Meghan added: "She's been wonderful." Yet in their Netflix documentary, Meghan described the first meeting as "jarring", recalling: "I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot. I was a hugger. I didn't realise that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits."
Harry also recounted the encounter in Spare, noting the "marked difference in how the two women dressed". Catherine is understood to have viewed Harry and Meghan's departure as "inevitable", while William was "saddened" by the turn of events.
