Kate Middleton’s heartbreaking way of dealing with Prince William and Harry’s rift

Kate Middleton was once described by her brother-in-law Prince Harry as ‘the sister I’ve never had and always wanted’. But the pair’s relationship has been left in tatters

Princess Kate was once close to Prince Harry (
Image: Getty Images)

Princess Kate Middleton will have been greatly upset by Prince William’s fallout with Prince Harry. The trio were once incredibly close, but following Harry’s marriage to Meghan, he is now all but estranged from the royal family.

The Sussexes’s repeated attacks on his family are said to have left William and Kate feeling incredibly hurt and betrayed. And a reunion now seems unlikely, with reports stating William has completely ‘cut off’ his younger sibling. According to royal author Robert Lacey in his book Battle of the Brothers, Kate coped with growing tensions by being “wary of Meghan from the start”. William, meanwhile, felt Meghan was ‘stealing his beloved brother away from him’, and suspected Meghan was ‘hostile’ to the royal system.

Lacey also stated that the final nail in the coffin for the former ‘Fab Four’ came when William was made aware of bullying allegations aimed at Meghan. William was told about claims that the Duchess had ‘bullied’ palace members of staff and, after an unsuccessful phone call to discuss matters with his brother, decided to ‘throw Harry out’ and split their households, the author claimed.

Lacey further quoted a Kensington Palace courtier as saying: “Meghan portrayed herself as the victim, but she was the bully. People felt run over by her. They thought she was a complete narcissist and sociopath — basically unhinged.” The bullying allegations came to light in March 2021, when the Times reported that Meghan had bullied two staff members out of Kensington Palace. The publication stated that a complaint was lodged against the Duchess in October 2018, five months after her wedding to Prince Harry.

Jason Knauf, who worked as communications secretary to Harry and Meghan, is said to have claimed the Duchess “drove two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member”. According to the Times, Knauff sent an email to Prince William ’s then-private secretary Simon Case, in a move designed to get Buckingham Palace to protect staff Knauff claimed “were coming under unbearable pressure from Meghan”. The article further claimed Harry “pleaded” with him not to pursue the allegations during a meeting, which the Sussexes’ lawyer claims never happened.

However, a short time later Meghan publicly denied all allegations of bullying, claiming she is a victim of a “calculated smear campaign”. A statement issued by the Sussexes’ spokesperson read, “Let’s just call this what it is — a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation.

“We are disappointed to see this defamatory portrayal of the Duchess of Sussex given credibility by a media outlet. It’s no coincidence that distorted several-year-old accusations aimed at undermining the duchess are being briefed to the British media shortly before she and the duke are due to speak openly and honestly about their experience of recent years.” The Times report came days before Harry and Meghan sat down for their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey.