Princess Catherine is said to have held a somewhat different perspective from Prince William on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s choice to step back from royal duties in 2020.
According to an upcoming royal biography, the Prince of Wales was reportedly “intensely saddened” by his brother’s departure, whilst the Princess of Wales observed the breakdown of her husband’s bond with Harry from a more removed position.
In an excerpt from Daily Mirror Royal Editor Russell Myers’ forthcoming book, William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, he noted, “William and Catherine had added reason to be nervous about the Sussexes’ departure. William was intensely saddened at his brother’s decision to quit.”
He continued, “He and Harry had been drifting apart for years, but now he knew deep down that there would be no turning back. Fond memories of their childhood, from helping each other through the tragedy of their mother’s death, to growing up in the public eye, were now tarnished by the division at the heart of the family.”
Addressing Princess Catherine’s particular reaction to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s exit – rapidly dubbed ‘Megxit’ – Myers adds, “As an ‘outsider’, Catherine had witnessed the deterioration of William and Harry’s relationship.
He wrote, “She had seen Harry and Meghan become ever more bitter at having to follow the rules of a hierarchical and hereditary monarchy, until they felt as if they could follow them no longer.”
Mysers continued, “(However,) Catherine had less interest than her husband in trying to persuade Harry to stay in his current role. She believed William and Harry’s fundamental differences as the ‘heir and the spare’ had created the inevitability of Harry wanting more from his role than being a bit-part player.”
William is said to have “saw right through” Meghan, harboring concerns that she had no long-term commitment to remaining within the Royal Family.
His attitude toward his sister-in-law began to deteriorate in the period leading up to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s 2018 wedding.
Royal biographer Phil Dampier commented, “She saw it as a stepping stone, getting married to Harry and to new fame and fortune.
He continued, “And I think that’s what initially Prince William was concerned about. And that’s why they fell out. And now, we are where we are. But to have this confirmed by somebody so close to the Queen is really dynamic.”
In his explosive memoir Spare, published in January 2023, Harry claimed William cautioned him about rushing into his relationship with Meghan, stating, “It’s too fast, he’d told me. Too soon. In fact, he’d actually been pretty discouraging about my even dating Meg.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
