Prince William and Kate Middleton share their verdict on Harry and Meghan’s behavior amid royal family tensions after U.K. return
Six years after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped away from their senior royal roles, the couple has returned to Britain for an extended stay with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
But not everyone is reportedly happy about the news, especially Prince William and Kate Middleton, who also had qualms with the Sussexes’ past behavior.
Prince William and Kate Middleton judge Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s behavior
According to The Mirror US, William and Middleton’s concerns about Harry and Markle date back to the early years of the couple’s relationship.
A source close to William and Kate said the couple believed the Sussexes had “an agenda” and felt their behavior came from something deeper than simply being difficult.
The insider also described the atmosphere between the two couples as “pretty toxic,” while claiming Markle came across as “bullish” and Middleton thought of her as “abrasive.”
The latter hoped her husband would speak to Harry and help resolve their differences, but eventually saw a separation between the brothers as increasingly inevitable.
William felt Harry had changed dramatically by the time of the Sussexes’ 2019 interview with Tom Brady. According to royal editor Russell Myers‘ book William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, the interview reinforced William’s belief that he had “lost his brother.”
An informant close to the Prince of Wales claimed Harry had become “paranoid, angry, obsessive and firmly rooted in the past,” despite his brother offering support.
Though William had reportedly warned Harry to proceed carefully with Markle, the former was “genuinely happy” for his brother when he initially welcomed Meghan.
Middleton tried to be a peacemaker, but her concerns only grew after Markle and Harry’s attitude toward the palace staff.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are cautious about the Sussexes’ U.K. return
Markle and Harry arrived in Britain on August 26 and People reported that William and Middleton are resisting any “knee-jerk reaction.”
They are keeping their response private and “watching the space.” A source told the outlet that the Wales “don’t feel the need to say anything or demonstrate anything outwardly.”
Any reconciliation between William and Harry “will be a slow build,” the insider said, citing a “deep sense of betrayal.” For now, Harry’s return has not led to a public reunion with William and Middleton.
Despite the Duke of Sussex’s past hope for reconciliation, the brothers’ relationship is said to have been at a stalemate, which makes Harry and Markle’s homecoming far more complicated than a simple family reunion.