What change?: Kate Middleton and Prince Harry’s close bond destroyed by ‘mistrust’ and…
Prince Harry and Kate Middleton were once extremely close, with Harry often spending time with Prince William and his wife.
The Duke of Sussex even described Kate as “the sister I’ve never had and always wanted.” However, their once strong bond was shattered following the release of Harry’s tell-all memoir, Spare.
In the book, Harry made several accusations against members of the royal family, including Kate. He claimed the Princess of Wales was “on edge” when he married Meghan Markle because she was now “going to be compared to, and forced to compete with, Meg.”
He also claimed a disagreement over bridesmaids dresses left Meghan “sobbing on the floor”. Both William and Kate reportedly felt upset and betrayed by these allegations, and Harry faced criticism for making such personal attacks, knowing that the royals would not publicly respond.
In his account of the infamous disagreement over Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress, Harry seemed to suggest that Kate was unwilling to compromise, despite Meghan’s obvious distress. An insider suggested the memoir “paints Kate as rigid and overly formal, contrasting Meghan’s laid-back Californian approach.”
However, many were quick to rally around the Princess of Wales, criticizing Harry for his portrayal of her. Royal photographer Arthur Edwards was among those who voiced their opinions.
Harry has publicly targeted his sister-in-law in a way that’s not just damaging to her but to the entire family dynamic,” he said. Royal expert Ingrid Seward added at the time, “Harry’s decision to drag Kate into this narrative was both unnecessary and hurtful. She’s always been the epitome of grace under pressure, and this incident paints a distorted picture of who she really is.”
It’s reported that Kate was deeply wounded by Harry’s actions. However, she has chosen to remain silent on the issue, focusing instead on her royal duties and her family. She has also battled cancer and is now in remission.
Of course, it wasn’t just Spare that caused issues with the Sussexes. They spoke out against the royals in the infamous Oprah Winfrey interview, and in Meghan and Harry’s Netflix documentary they again criticized Kate, accusing her of being overly-formal during their first meeting.
“Even when Will and Kate came over, and I met her for the first time, they came over for dinner, I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot,” Meghan recalled. “Like I was a hugger, I’ve always been a hugger. I didn’t realize that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits. I guess I started to understand really quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside.
