Princess Kate 'gave up' on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after one key moment
Princess Kate 'gave up' on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after one key moment
Jane Lavender & Kathleen O'BoyleSun, August 30, 2026 at 9:00 AM UTC
0
Kate Middleton is saddened, disappointed and hurt by Harry and Meghan Markle interview -Credit:undefined
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly set to return to the UK to live.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have decided to leave their Montecito, California, residence and move back to Britain with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, who are already enrolled in schools in the UK.
The couple, who departed both Harry's home country and their roles as senior working royals in 2020, are said to be heading back within the next few weeks, with their children due to start school in September. They are expected to settle in a non-royal property outside London, though they will not resume their former positions within the royal family.
• Dolly Parton's most beloved songs top Spotify charts as fans continue to mourn her
• Inside Dolly Parton's estimated $650m estate and who will inherit it as 'family feud' feared
An insider has indicated the move is something Prince Harry has been contemplating "for some time". They told People magazine: "Harry never really stopped missing home. He's missed that sense of connection and belonging. Britain is still home in many ways."
A further source added, "Meghan feels very fortunate that they're able to give Archie and Lilibet the opportunity to experience both worlds."
King Charles and Prince William are said to have been informed of Harry and Meghan's plans, which came to light last week, at the same time. William and Catherine are reportedly determined to avoid being drawn into the "drama" surrounding Meghan and Harry.
William and Kate are said to want no part in the "drama" -Credit:2026 Samir Hussein
Friends of the Prince and Princess of Wales have disclosed that while they "cannot forgive" the Sussexes for their claims against the royal family during their time in America, both through high-profile interviews and in Harry's book, Spare, the Prince and Princess of Wales remain focused on "looking forward to the future".
Despite this, the two couples were previously considered close and were even called the 'Fab Four' after a joint public appearance. Harry and Catherine had shared a strong connection from the moment she joined the royal family, with the Duke of Sussex once calling her "the big sister he never had".
Advertisement
When Harry began his relationship with Meghan Markle, many expected the two women would forge a close friendship, but it proved short-lived. Less than two years after their lavish Windsor wedding, Harry and Meghan had stepped away from their roles as working royals and moved to America.
Several high-profile interviews, including one with American television icon Oprah Winfrey, followed, along with a Netflix documentary series chronicling their royal family experience and Harry's autobiography, all of which contained damaging allegations against his relatives. Yet, it was a different issue that reportedly caused Princess Kate to effectively "give up" on her in-laws.
Harry and Meghan are moving back to the UK -Credit:Tom Maddick / SWNS.com
In the book, William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, Mirror Royal Editor Russell Myers reveals their personal reactions to Harry and Meghan's behavior - both leading up to and following Megxit. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex faced persistent allegations of staff mistreatment, with claims stretching back to their wedding, leaving the Royal Family reportedly concerned by the accusations.
Prince William is understood to have approached his brother in early 2019 to directly address Meghan's alleged conduct toward palace personnel. This confrontation is thought to have sparked the 'fight' between the siblings, which Harry described as ending with William shoving him into a dog bowl.
The Prince of Wales has remained silent on the matter, though individuals familiar with William have described Harry's account as "massively overblown".
It had been hoped Kate and Meghan would be close -Credit:ITV
In Spare, Harry alleged William had "echoed the narrative of the tabloids, calling his wife 'difficult', 'rude' and 'abrasive'. While those close to the future king couldn't confirm the exact words he used, they noted, "it would have been a fair assessment if he did".. Meanwhile, Catherine and William had devoted considerable effort to cultivating a satisfied team, creating a positive workplace environment.
By contrast, personnel working for Harry and Meghan experienced significant distress, with some choosing to resign, others experiencing mental health difficulties, or refusing to participate in official appearances with the pair.
This situation became a major worry for the Prince and Princess of Wales. According to Myers, Catherine, who had traditionally acted as a mediator during the brothers' conflicts, concluded she had exhausted her patience. The book says: "Catherine has always favored reason over conflict. It was how she had been brought up, in a household that resolved differences with dialogue rather than by bearing grudges."
"At first she had thought William and Harry's squabbles were rooted in immaturity or stubbornness, on both sides, but Harry and Meghan's attitude towards palace staff, who she and William cared about, set the couples on an entirely different course. ". It came to a head after Harry and Meghan's wedding. One source who knew both couples well at this time suggested William and Catherine felt the Sussexes had 'an agenda'.
A source said: "They definitely thought the Sussexes' behavior stemmed from something more than being difficult. The whole atmosphere between them was pretty toxic.
"Meghan was being bullish, Kate found her abrasive. There was definitely a hope from her side [Catherine's] that William could try and talk to Harry and settle things, but that didn't exactly happen... and at the end of the day, she had three young children, who were her focus and if anything she saw the inevitability of the parting of ways, although perhaps not to the extent of what eventually happened."
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
