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It’s been six years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to “step back as senior members of the royal family,” and the palace has still not recovered.
But, there’s reportedly one person at the palace who didn’t take the news as personally as the rest of the family: Kate Middleton. Royal author Russell Myers’ March 10 book, William and Catherine: The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story, reveals the alleged reactions of the Prince and Princess of Wales and how vastly different they were.
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In a February 16 excerpt published by The Mirror, Myers wrote that William “was intensely saddened at his brother’s decision to quit” while “Catherine had less interest than her husband in trying to persuade Harry to stay in his current role.” In his 2023 memoir, Spare, Harry talked about his difficulties with living in his eldest brother’s shadow, and Kate understood the “fundamental differences” as “the heir and the spare” from raising her own kids.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the 75th NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome on February 15, 2026 in Inglewood, California.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images.
Harry was “wanting more from his role than being a bit-part player,” especially after his marriage to Meghan. Kate saw the couple’s “departure as inevitable” after they married in 2018. And there’s one thing the Fab Four agreed on: the wedding was the marked shift in their relationship.
The much-debated bridesmaid’s dress drama that resulted in a crying incident ahead of Meghan and Harry’s wedding seems to be the catalyst for the feud. In his book, the Duke of Sussex alleged that Kate started the fight via a text stating there was a “problem” with Princess Charlotte’s dress, which was “too big, long, and baggy.”
Unfortunately, time was of the essence since the ceremony was just days away, and Kate was claiming that three-year-old Charlotte had “burst into tears when she tried it on.” Even though a tailor was on hand to make any necessary adjustments, Harry claimed that his sister-in-law wanted the bridesmaid dresses scratched and recreated with only four days until the ceremony.
By the time Harry and Meghan announced their royal exit, there wasn’t really a reason for Kate to convince them to stay. The Sussexes were ready for their next chapter outside of the palace despite William’s desire for them to stay and support the monarchy. Harry had bigger plans in mind.
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