Marriage is difficult for all couples, but especially so if you happen to be the future
King and Queen of England. From unprovoked temper tantrums to arguments that allegedly turn violent,
here's why William and Catherine's marriage appears to be on the skids.
In 2019, Prince William was caught up in some scathing rumors involving infidelity. No longer
the poster boy for a happy husband, William's alleged affair with Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness
of Cholmondeley, popped up in the tabloids and quickly pitted Rose and Princess Catherine
against one another. The Sun even claimed that the Princess of Wales had iced Rose out of the high
society circle that they once shared. The gossip mill started working double time from there,
and whispers about an extramarital affair on William's part became quite rampant.
"By the way, you have to be careful what you say now, because these guys are filming." "I know!"
That's not to say that Rose and Catherine haven't done what they think is necessary
to stomp out the smoke. Rose's son, Oliver, was chosen as one of King Charles III's pages
of honor during the coronation on May 6, 2023. As a result, Rose was in attendance on the big day.
The seemingly warring duo also threatened legal action over the rumors,
casting aside any narrative that involved Rose and William. However,
that didn't stop rumors from continuing to emerge, with one being that William allegedly
spent Valentine's Day 2023 with Rose. No matter where the truth lies, Catherine
and William can't seem to escape the whispers surrounding the prince's supposed infidelity.
It's not often that Prince William and Princess Catherine are captured in a particularly awkward
moment. However, that was the case when the two traveled to Jordan for Crown Prince Al Hussein
and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein's wedding in the summer of 2023. In a video captured of Catherine
speaking to the bride, William appears to get more and more agitated, before making a "move it along"
gesture with his hands. Naturally, the clip made its way to social media and royal watchers were
quick to point out the gesture, including body language expert Judi James. James told Express:
"This is not one of his finest moments when it comes to either body language or words.
While he has clearly moved on from the meet and greet with the bride
and groom [...] there appears to be no logical reason for William to hurry his wife along…"
Though the world reeled over the death of Queen Elizabeth II, it was almost more surprising
to see Prince William, Princess Catherine, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex,
reunite. Making an appearance outside Windsor, the two couples greeted mourners and took in
the memorial objects left in honor of the queen. While it was a welcome sight for some,
it presented an analytical moment for others, including body language expert Tonya Reiman.
While commenting on William and Catherine, Reiman concluded that their familiar interactions with
one another are different from the overt affection Harry and Meghan show towards each other.
Highlighting a particular moment when it appeared as though William ignored his wife
while she waited for her car door to be opened, Reiman told Fox News Digital of the two couples,
"William is not going to open the door because he knows there's somebody to open the door for
her. For Meghan and Harry, it's more of an affectionate moment. This is a different
kind of relationship. And this is also the relationship that you put out to the public."
Reiman went on to add:
"When it comes to the hand holding, there is a difference between the two brothers. I
think it suggests more of what William and Kate feel is 'appropriate' and what Meghan and Harry
feel comfortable with. They know what they're supposed to demonstrate. So they do that."
Before Meghan Markle came onto the scene, royal watchers were almost always guaranteed to see
Prince William, Princess Catherine, and Prince Harry attending all their events together. A
seemingly inseparable trio, they represented the new generations of royals, or so it seemed.
A former staff member of King Charles's household, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton,
who spoke to the The Sunday Times in 2019 broke open this narrative,
revealing that William is always in control. Before Meghan,
William dictated what his brother did and said. But now that Harry is on his own, William's
controlling-behavior is directed primarily at his wife. Lowther-Pinkerton told the outlet:
"William's quite controlling,
and he was in control when it was just the three of them, but now he's not."
Lowther-Pinkerton went on to say that the Prince of Wales would simply need "to get used to" not
being in control anymore, something that could flare his reportedly quick temper. From telling
his wife to quickly sit down at the 2019 BAFTAs to Catherine's obvious frustration with her
husband on occasion, there have been a number of instances that have fueled the rumor fire.
Of all the royal feuds that have taken place in recent history, Prince William and Prince
Harry's estrangement has taken the cake. Amid the devolving relationship, Harry has been vocal about
his experiences within the royal family, while William is said to have grown increasingly angry.
"Working as family does have its challenges, of course it does."
But who deals with William's anger? According to an insider who spoke to the Daily Mail,
it's Princess Catherine who apparently spends most of her time trying to
contend with her husband's reported temper. The source told the outlet:
"She treated the whole issue in terms of supporting her husband who,
while angry at some of what was being said and done,
was largely just consumed with sadness about what was happening with his brother."
The source went on to add that Catherine has also
been trying to focus on the wellbeing of her family's staff. The insider continued,
"[William] flies off the handle at any sign of Kate being patronized and stamps that out very
quickly. It's one of his triggers. Over the years, many people have come up with great ideas for her,
but if they are put across in a dismissive way, they've got pretty short shrift from him."
While royal drama comes and goes, it's not often that the actual members of
the family comment on the most high-profile rumors. However, in his Netflix docuseries,
"Harry & Meghan," the Duke of Sussex addressed the press office tactics
that targeted his wife and protected his brother, essentially pouring fuel on a
small spark. Though he didn't get too into specifics, Harry did not mince his words.
"They were happy to lie to protect my brother.
They were never willing to tell the truth to protect us."
Many royal watchers took Harry's statement as a hint that the cracks in
Prince William and Princess Catherine's marriage were growing in real time,
given that the couple regularly receives positive press coverage. While indicating
that far more went on behind closed doors than previously thought, Meghan later remarked,
"I wasn't being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves."
Further commenting on his brother's marriage and the palace's attempts to
preserve William and Catherine's image, Harry told ABC News' Michael Strahan,
"They pitched the Waleses — of which Kate and
William are now — against the Sussexes, me and my wife."
Almost every couple out there has some sort of pet name for their significant other. But
when it comes to Prince William and Princess Catherine, the prince's nicknames for his wife
have regularly been seen as digs. According to royal author Tom Quinn, author of "Gilded Youth:
An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family," William has two pet names for his wife:
"Babykins" and "Duchess of Doolittle." While the first could just be seen as a playful take on
"baby" or "darling," the "Duchess of Doolittle" remark is believed to be a condescending jab.
While speaking to Fox News Digital, Quinn explained that "Duchess of Doolittle" is
supposedly William's way of referencing Catherine's lack of a professional life
ahead of their wedding. Quinn also details in his book, thanks to a royal source, that William
calls his wife "darling" when he is mad at her. But according to the source who spoke to Quinn,
the couple's worst interactions come when they are in the presence of overbearing palace staff.
Prince William and Princess Catherine are known for their monumental arguments,
thanks in part to the Prince of Wales' short temper. While speaking to Fox News Digital,
royal author Tom Quinn said William and Catherine's arguments have allegedly gotten
violent. Quinn went on to add that some of the couple's arguments have resulted in the
two not speaking to one another for an extended period of time. Quinn claimed to the outlet:
"Of course, privately, William and Kate, like all couples, [...] shout at each other and say
unkind things to each other, but Kate is an appeaser by instinct and William always
gives way as he had more than enough emotional turmoil, divorce and disruption as a child."
Providing additional context to Fox News Digital, Quinn added,
"They want to be seen as an ordinary couple with the same stresses of having children,
work and everything else that life brings."
When Prince Harry was still immersed in royal life, he was often seen as the sidekick to
Prince William and Princess Catherine's storybook romance. After his marriage to Meghan Markle,
however, Harry became more emboldened to stick up for himself and his wife,
even if that meant telling his truth about his sister-in-law. Taking aim at her in his memoir,
"Spare," Harry held nothing back. This inevitably caused issues for William and Catherine.
"For like historical reference the truth needs to be there and it needs to come from me."
A source exclusively claimed to RadarOnline that
the Princess of Wales was offended by the book's contents and became
frustrated that William wouldn't defend her publicly. The source told the outlet:
"Kate felt William should stick up for her more. Yet William and
the palace thought that saying nothing was best."
And so silence became the tactic. The palace never released a statement regarding
Harry's book or its content, while the royals themselves actively avoided questions about it.
The source added that Catherine hoped that the book would encourage William
to say something and work on his temper. Given that the royals stayed silent on Harry's book,
as well as other large-scale issues like Harry and Meghan's New York City paparazzi chase,
it's clear that the plan is to charge ahead. All eyes were on the royals on May 6, 2023, King
Charles's coronation day. It was the celebration decades in the making, and while it was certainly
an affair to remember, many royal watchers picked up on what they believed to be subtle clues
dropped by Prince William and Princess Catherine. Some eagle-eyed fans quickly suspected something
was amiss based on William and Catherine's body language when walking up to Westminster Abbey.
William was in mid-conversation while Catherine looked down at the ground,
both giving off a frustrated energy. Of course, they could have been just
stressed out over the fact that it was one of the biggest days in their family's history,
but some suspected that something deeper was going on. One Twitter user commented on a photo
of William, Catherine, and their children walking up the Westminster Abbey steps. The user wrote:
"I know nothing about royalty but that's not a photo of a happy family."
Another Twitter user focused on Catherine specifically, writing,
"Such an unhappy looking couple. She isn't pretending today."
Again, this is all speculative, but it's juicy nonetheless.