We all know about Prince Harry's rocky relationship with his brother, William, but where does
Kate Middleton fall into the mix? Kate has been by William's side for over a decade,
so she's been a pretty integral part of Harry's life too. Here's the truth about Harry and
Kate's relationship.
The world watched when Prince Harry and Prince William walked behind their mother's casket
in 1997 — just two young boys, but they were grieving on the world stage. Both Harry
and William went on with their lives, and William met Kate Middleton at the University
of St. Andrews in 2003. Kate met Harry quickly thereafter, and things blossomed from there.
A St. Andrews source explained to the Daily Mail,
"From the earliest days, Kate always maintained an open-door policy to Prince Harry. While
they were students she always made him feel welcome. The three also spent weekends together."
Of course, Harry's teens and early 20s were a bit rough, with drugs, fights, and other
controversies, so it's hard to say exactly how his behavior impacted his relationship
with his brother and Kate. His early years were a bit all over the place, and we can't
help but wonder if Kate gave him some sisterly advice. Perhaps it sounded a bit like Harry's
description of being a royal, revealed during that infamous Oprah interview.
"You gotta get dressed, you gotta get in there, wipe the tears away, shake off whatever you're
thinking about, and you gotta be on your A-game."
If anyone is going to tell you the truth about your prospective significant other, it's your
sibling. You can always count on them for their brutal honesty, but that was a reality
that Kate Middleton reportedly clued in on. As noted by the Daily Mail, Kate quickly learned
that a positive relationship with Prince Harry was crucial in maintaining a good romance
with Prince William. An inside source even said that Kate, quote, "knew that getting
on with Harry was key to her relationship with William."
Of course, Kate was from a fairly normal family and had a sibling of her own, so it comes
as no surprise that she was a bit of a natural when it came to bonding with the young prince.
A source told the Daily Mail,
"From day one Kate made a massive effort with Harry. But it was a natural thing because
she grew up in such an inclusive family, the 'en masse Middletons' and all that."
"En Masse Middletons" was a nickname the family picked up because they always moved together.
Looks like Kate really knew what she was doing.
"I hope we'll be able to have a happy family ourselves."
The royals are known for being private. They reportedly rarely talk about their feelings,
the inner workings of the family, the experiences that they go through, or the realities of
being royal. However, Prince Harry sat down with Newsweek in 2017 for an interview, and
was surprisingly forthcoming about the dynamic that he had with his family members, Kate
Middleton included.
Let's start with the Queen — Harry called her "remarkable," something we can all agree
on. He then talked about his late mother, Princess Diana, sharing that she did everything
she could to make his life fun and safe. Harry hardly mentioned his father, Prince Charles,
and his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles, which given the history there, doesn't come as a
huge shock.
But what about Kate? When William asked her to marry him, Harry called Kate the sister
he'd never had. Newsweek also reported that Harry had made a habit of going over to his
brother and sister-in-law's for dinner at Kensington Palace, as Kate would make him
his favorite meals. These two clearly have a very special bond.
At one time, Prince Harry and Kate Middleton were neighbors. According to the Daily Mail,
Harry lived in the 2-bedroom Nottingham Cottage on the Kensington Palace grounds, which was
right next door to Kate Middleton and Prince William's apartment, Apartment 1A. At one
point, according to an insider, Harry was reportedly more than comfortable just going
over to his brother and sister-in-law's apartment whenever he felt like it. The source said,
"Harry is totally at ease popping over to the Cambridges' gym to work out next to Wills,
and he's used to seeing Kate in her cashmere dressing gown reading to Charlotte, or joining
in cosy family suppers, eaten from their laps."
They also shared that Kate "encouraged" Harry to come play with his niece and nephew, Princess
Charlotte and Prince George (baby Prince Louis wasn't on the scene yet) as often as he wanted.
But, as noted by Harper's Bazaar, things allegedly got complicated when Harry and Meghan Markle
started their lives together; for a while, they lived in the two-bedroom apartment that
Harry had been occupying as a single man. They eventually relocated to Frogmore Cottage.
Even if you're not a fan of the royal family, you most likely know some of what went down
between Prince Charles and Princess Diana. After a decade of stress, scandal, and infidelty,
the two got divorced. Diana, tragically, died in 1997 and Charles married his long-time
companion, Camilla Parker-Bowles, in 2005.
So where does Kate Middleton come in? An insider told the Daily Mail that Kate stepped in for
Harry as an emotional confidant, given that the role had previously been filled primarily
by his mother. And while sources say that William and Harry get along with Camilla and
are happy to see their father happy, the brothers don't really confide their deepest thoughts
in Camilla.
So it was Kate that Harry reportedly turned to in moments of need, and the two reportedly
developed a "genuine friendship" while relying on one another for support. Kate was described
as Harry's "trusted counsel," and while their time together didn't always consist of deep
talks — they were known to watch Game of Thrones together, for instance — they always
had each other's backs.
There's nothing more fun than being an aunt or uncle. You get the best part of the kids
without having to change the diapers or do the 2 a.m. feedings, and it certainly seemed
like Prince Harry embraced the role of fun uncle. An inside source told the Daily Mail
that Kate Middleton and Harry really bonded over his "free and easy" spirit, and his attitude
came in handy when playing with her kids. The source shared,
"[Kate] adores the way Harry plays with her children. He is very good with them, a charming
big kid and silly uncle."
But as you can imagine, things went downhill pretty quickly, and given the rift between
Harry and Prince William, Harry's role as an uncle suffered. According to the 2020 book
Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, Harry's bond
with Prince George and Princess Charlotte suffered as a result of the feud between the
brothers. The authors also alleged that Kate was "fiercely loyal" to William, and that
even during his feud with Harry, she did, quote, "little to diffuse the situation."
Things tend to get more complicated when new additions to the family are made, but according
to Finding Freedom, things reportedly got distant between Kate Middleton and Meghan
Markle — a no-go for Prince Harry. The authors alleged that Kate and Meghan had met each
other with a, "distant politeness," and the tone of their relationship was something the
press and public picked up on it fairly quickly. Things really came to head at the King Power
Royal Charity Polo Day when Kate and Meghan were spotted together. They reportedly had
a "cordial but distant rapport" that was pretty much obvious to everyone.
Of course, we can imagine that the dynamic didn't please Harry at all, especially considering
that there was a lot going on in the royal family behind the scenes. While Kate and Meghan
barely talked at the event, the Finding Freedom authors assessed that their dynamic was reflective
of the conflict between Harry and the institution of the royal family. Either way, it seemed
as though Harry's relationship with Kate, his brother, and the royal family was slowly
starting to crumble.
The interview. Two words, and if you're a fan of the royals, you know exactly what we're
talking about. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat down with Oprah Winfrey and pretty much
aired all the royal dirty laundry. Unsurprisingly, Kate Middleton was reportedly "mortified"
over what they shared.
"What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didn't do, but
that happened to me."
As noted by Page Six, one large point of contention between Kate and Meghan was over wedding details.
It was originally reported that Meghan made Kate cry over flower girl dresses, but Meghan
asserted in the interview that it was actually the other way around.
"A few days before the wedding, she was upset about something pertaining, yes, the issue
was correct, about flower girl dresses. And it made me cry."
Of course, it was just one small example of how quickly things had degraded between Harry
and Meghan, and Prince William and Kate. Royal expert Katie Nicholl explained,
"You never hear about [Kate] falling out with anyone because she is very careful with how
she treats others. So for this story to be circulating is very hard."
Nicholl also said that Kate was "saddened, disappointed and hurt" by the interview, and
given what we know about the bond she used to have with Harry, it makes all of it sting
just a little more.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. And for Kate
Middleton, it was reported that she regretted getting involved with the "soap opera" that
was Prince Harry and his exodus from the royal family. According to Page Six, Kate and Prince
William set about "surrounding themselves in goodness" in order to combat the stress
that Harry and Meghan Markle's departure was causing.
What did said "goodness" consist of? Their children, Kate's parents, Pippa Middleton
and her husband, and close family members. An inside source told Page Six,
"William and Catherine could not be more discreet, they don't want to get involved [...] Even
when Harry spoke about the fallout with William, there was no briefing from them. And by saying
nothing, that is the smartest move."
Throughout the drama enveloping their extended family, Kate and William reportedly made an
effort to listen to their advisors. The source concluded,
"They don't wish to elevate this soap opera."
For a good chunk of time, Prince Harry was always trailing Prince William and Kate Middleton
— he was the third wheel, to put it bluntly, but all of that changed when Meghan Markle
joined his side. So it was quite the sight when Harry, William, and Kate reunited for
the first time since Harry's departure to the United States. The three joined each other
during the funeral proceedings for Prince Philip, who passed away in April 2021, and
it seemed to go better between them than anticipated.
William and Kate made a point of chatting and walking with Harry, and they all seemed
to be in good spirits for the reunion. The three even went to a private funeral wake
held for Philip at Windsor Castle shortly after the public ceremony. Of course, Meghan
didn't join Harry as she was expecting their second child, so it was just the original
three who made the event. With so much having happened between them, we can't help but wonder
what Kate and Harry said to one another.
We don't know what was said, but a body language expert analyzed the reunion of Prince Harry,
Kate Middleton, and Prince William at Prince Philip's funeral. Joe Navarro told Today that
Kate served as a peacekeeper between the brothers, and that she figured out a way to get them
back together while also giving them their space. He revealed,
"If there is discord between the brothers we don't see it here. William has set the
pace, waiting for his brother to catch up and Kate has moved to the side so that the
brothers can be together."
Navarro also pointed out that the proximity between the three royals was an indication
of comfort, as they all were appropriately distanced from each other, adding,
"Their proximity, their gate in synchrony, their countenance, and gaze back and forth,
suggests strongly that they are getting along."
Kate, who joined the brothers for most of the service, did step back and give them a
chance to speak, just the two of them. Maybe one day they'll reveal the nature of their
chat.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more List videos about the royal
family are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss
a single one.