The relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry was began to deteriorate after the Duke of Sussex married Meghan Markle – and there was a very early sign of the tension to come
Prince William made a comment that revealed the fault lines in his relationship with his brother(Image: PA)
Just a month after Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex tied the knot with glamorous American actress Meghan Markle, the relationship between him and his brother Prince William was already on the rocks.
By June 2018, the brothers felt compelled to hold a summit with their wives at Kensington Palace to iron out issues. However, four months prior to this tense meeting, Prince William had made a terse two-word comment that, looking back, served as an early red flag indicating the cracks in the relationship between the two couples.
Royal commentator Camilla Tominey suggests that a public announcement sharing Meghan would become the fourth patron of the Royal Foundation signaled the first sign of trouble, and “how much tension there was between them”.
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William’s emphatic response was a sign of trouble in store(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
In a new dramatized Channel 5 documentary titled Meghan vs Kate: The Meeting That Changed the Monarchy, Talk TV’s Royal Editor Sarah Hewson reveals what transpired during that pivotal meeting between The Sussexes and the Cambridges: “It was a late afternoon in June 2018, Harry and Meghan were heading over to Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace for ‘clear the air’ talks with William and Kate.”
For more than a year, the so-called “fab four” were viewed as the future of the monarchy, but the result of that crucial meeting was set to rip the Royal family apart.
Rumors had been circulating that Meghan’s behavior behind-the-scenes had upset a Kensington Palace employee, and that Kate, in particular, had taken issue with the Hollywood star’s alleged treatment of Royal staff.
The rift between the two brothers was already growing when the ‘fab four’ made their fist – and last – appearance(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Royal biographer Andrew Morton suggests that Catherine may have felt “threatened” by Meghan’s presence. With over 15 years of successful acting under her belt, Meghan was confident and outspoken in a way that few Royal wives are.
Tensions were also brewing between the two brothers. In February 2018, during a public appearance to announce Meghan becoming a fourth patron of the Royal Foundation, the four were asked if there were any disagreements with the family working closely together.
William responded with a resounding: “Oh, yes!” Harry concurred, adding: “They come so thick and fast. Working as family does have its challenges, of course it does. But we’re stuck together for the rest of our lives.”
The four would never make another public appearance together(Image: PA)
However, they wouldn’t be working together for much longer. Sarah Hewson says that Royal journalists should have noticed the tension between the foursome: “Clearly things were not right between these two couples”.
In Tina Brown’s book The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor-the Truth and the Turmoil, the author explains how that public appearance was a major turning-point. She describes how Meghan “fluently” dominated most of that interview, advocating for causes that, although worthy, were definitely not part of the Royal Foundation message.
It was “a fashionable cause anointed by Hollywood and sure to make headlines,” she wrote. “It was an awkward dynamic. It was later decided the Fab Four would not play onstage together as a band again.”
Heavily pregnant, Catherine felt ‘overshadowed’ by her sister-in-law(Image: PA)
She noted that Kate seemed to be eclipsed by Meghan, saying: “When it was Kate’s moment to speak, she was strikingly less articulate, as well as brief.”
Following that, the foursome would only appear together at larger Royal events like Commonwealth Day services or Trooping the Colour.
It wasn’t until nearly two years later that Harry and Meghan would announce their plans to “step back as ‘senior’ members” of the British Royal family, divide their time between the UK and the US, and strive for financial independence. Yet, it seems William’s succinct remark may have signaled the start of a new chapter for the royals.