Prince William and Prince Harry were already at loggerheads just a month after the Duke of Sussex married Meghan Markle, with the ‘fab four’ meeting to clear the air
Just one month on from the wedding of Prince Harry and American actor Meghan Markle, cracks in the bond between the Duke of Sussex and his brother Prince William were already becoming evident.
In what seemed a move to resolve their differences, June 2018 saw the brothers and their spouses meet at Kensington Palace. Yet, looming over this urgent summit was Prince William’s sharp two-word remark that, with hindsight, showed the growing rift within royal relations.
Royal expert Camilla Tominey points out that Meghan’s appointment as the fourth patron of the Royal Foundation led to conflict, revealing “how much tension there was between them”.
William and Harry asked if they ever ‘disagree’ in old clip
The dynamics are explored in the upcoming Channel 5 dramatisation, ‘Meghan vs Kate: The Meeting That Changed the Monarchy’, where Talk TV’s Royal Editor Sarah Hewson recounts: “It was a late afternoon in June 2018, Harry and Meghan were heading over to Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace for ‘clear the air’ talks with William and Kate.”
Once viewed as the modern face of the monarchy, the unity of the once-dubbed “fab four” was shattered by the outcomes of this pivotal discussion, reports Cambridgeshire Live.
Whispers had emerged that Meghan’s off-camera conduct had rankled a member of the Kensington Palace team, with Kate reportedly taking issue with the former TV star’s attitude towards the palace staff.
Royal biographer Andrew Morton has suggested that Catherine may have felt “threatened” by Meghan’s presence. With a successful acting career spanning over 15 years, Meghan brought a level of confidence and outspokenness rarely seen among Royal wives.
Tensions were also brewing between the two brothers. In February 2018, during a public announcement that Meghan would become the fourth patron of the Royal Foundation, the four royals were asked if working so closely as a family led to disagreements.
William responded with a resounding: “Oh, yes!” Harry agreed, adding: “They come so thick and fast. Working as family does have its challenges, of course it does. But we’re stuck together for the rest of our lives.”
However, their professional collaboration wouldn’t last much longer. Sarah Hewson suggests that royal journalists should have picked up on the tension between them: “Clearly things were not right between these two couples.”
In Tina Brown’s book ‘The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor-the Truth and the Turmoil’, she highlights that public appearance as a significant turning point. She notes how Meghan “fluently” spoke in the interview, passionately advocating for causes that, while commendable, didn’t align with the Royal Foundation’s message.
Tina described it as “a fashionable cause anointed by Hollywood and sure to make headlines,” adding: “It was an awkward dynamic. It was later decided the Fab Four would not play onstage together as a band again.”
She observed that Kate seemed to be eclipsed by Meghan’s presence: “When it was Kate’s moment to speak, she was strikingly less articulate, as well as brief.”
Following this, the two couples would only make joint public appearances during larger Royal events, such as the Commonwealth Day services or the Trooping the Colour ceremony.
It wasn’t until nearly two years later that Harry and Meghan would publicly declare their intention to “step back as ‘senior’ members” of the Royal Family, planning to divide their time between the UK and the US, and pursue financial independence.
Yet, it was William’s succinct remark that seemed to signal the onset of a shift within the monarchy as it was known at the time.
Meghan vs Kate: The Meeting That Changed the Monarchy, Saturday 7th June, 9.20pm. Watch | Stream on 5!
