Meghan and Kate got on well but Harry and William had ‘conflict’ over marriage to 'unknown and untested' actor
An upcoming book has claimed that Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton treated “each other with mutual respect”, it was actually royal brothers - Prince Harry and Prince William - who “never hesitated to tell each other exactly what they thought and felt”. These claims have been made by the book, ‘Battle of Brothers: William and Harry - the Inside Story of a Family in Tumult’, written by Robert Lacey, which is expected to release on October 15. An excerpt from the book published in The Daily Mail stated that the problem was not between the duchesses, but it was the dukes who had differences.
“Meghan and Kate actually got on rather well from the start. They might not be best-buddy material, but they found themselves, sister-outsiders in their extraordinary royal situation, and both of them cool professionals, treating each other with mutual respect,” Lacey said. “Each was far too canny to make an enemy of a prospective sister-in-law - it only made sense to be friends. The fundamental conflict was between the two males who had known each other all their lives and had never hesitated to tell each other exactly what they thought and felt.”
The book revealed that William was worried about his younger brother, who was going on fast in his relationship with Markle. “For his part, William was worried that his brother was going too fast in his courtship and he didn't shrink from saying so when Harry started talking about getting hitched. 'This all seems to be moving rather quickly,' William was said to have remarked to Harry doubtfully, on the testimony of more than one friend. 'Are you sure?' William couldn't understand how Harry could contemplate marrying this still unknown and untested quantity less than two years after their first meeting,” Lacey wrote in the book.
The excerpt from the explosive biography also stated that the Duke of Cambridge was so worried about Harry that he went to late Lady Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, for help. But that backfired. “The result of the Spencer intervention was an even more bitter explosion. Once again Harry refused to slow down. He didn't blame his uncle. He understood why Diana's brother should want to help. Yet he was furious with his elder brother for dragging other family members into the row. The fraternal fissure became established. There would be patch-ups and reconciliations, especially when a public show of unity was required. But that anger and mistrust - that distance - has lasted to the present day,” the author noted.
The book also shared that the “saddest separation in many ways came from the two brothers' decision to split up the Royal Foundation, the thriving charitable enterprise that they had created ten years earlier to promote their various good causes.” “Raising and paying out a good £7 million to £8 million per year for some 26 charities, the Royal Foundation seemed to embody both the legacy of Diana and the harmony of her sons in perpetuating her name,” it added.
After the Megxit in March, Meghan and Harry are living in the US with their little son Archie. The couple has bought a home in Santa Barbara and is focusing on their charity works. While Kate and William have started to focus on royal engagements after the Covid-19 lockdown in Britain.