Princess Lilibet has only been to England once in her life, and with relations between her father, Prince Harry, and uncle, Prince William, remaining frosty, it seems unlikely she’ll be close with the Wales family anytime soon. However, a new royal biography has revealed the one olive branch Princess Kate and Prince William sent to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after their daughter’s birth.
Meghan and Harry stepped down as senior working royals in early 2020 and moved to Montecito, California—and following their controversial Oprah Winfrey interview, Prince William was left “absolutely seething.”
In an excerpt from William & Catherine, The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story (via People), the Mirror’s royal editor Russell Myers shares that the Prince of Wales “felt betrayed by Harry to the extent that he vowed never to speak to him again.”
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However, when the Sussexes welcomed Lilibet Diana—a little sister to son Prince Archie—in June 2021, William and Kate did reach out.
Prince William, Princess Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are pictured at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in 2022.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Meghan shared a family photo featuring Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet on Instagram to celebrate the 2025 holiday season.
(Image credit: Meghan/Instagram)
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William and Catherine
“William and Catherine sent a gift and a card of congratulations—although that would be the extent of their contact,” Myers writes.
Even if they never reconcile with Harry and Meghan, the royal author notes that the Prince and Princess of Wales won’t stop Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis from having a relationship with their California relatives.
“William and Catherine had retreated from having any direct contact with the Sussexes, but they privately maintained that if there was a way for their children to have a relationship with their cousins in the future, they would not stand in their way,” Myers writes.
Although Prince Harry has been public about not feeling safe bringing his family to the U.K., a change in his taxpayer-funded security status could pave the way for a royal reunion one day—but only time will tell.