Prince William And Prince Harry Allegedly Feuding Over Meghan Markle's Remarks In New Documentary
Brothers do fight, after all.
instagram The world watched as Meghan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex, marrying Prince Harry in May 2018. Just one year later, the couple welcomed their first child, Archie, who is seventh in line for the British throne.
But with her new title and life came much public scrutiny, and even for someone who spent their life in the public eye as an American actress, the British press is a different beast. And with Meghan and Harry stepping back from their royal duties, there's bound to be upset in the family.
And now, it's been confirmed that there has been an existing Prince William/Prince Harry feud between the brothers, who haven't been "seeing eye to eye." Prince William denies the rumors, however.
In an October 2019 interview for the documentary, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, the Duchess revealed that dealing with her new royal role, marriage, and newborn has taken a toll. When asked how she’s doing mentally and physically, she responded:
“Look at any woman, especially when they’re pregnant. You’re really vulnerable and so that was made very challenging. And then when you have a newborn, you know... and especially as a woman, it’s really, it’s a lot. So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed... also, thank you for asking, because not many people have asked if I’m okay. But it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.”
Interviewer Tom Bradby followed up by asking, “Would it be fair to say it’s not really okay? As in, it’s really been a struggle?” To which the Duchess responded, “Yes.” Markle also said that she didn’t realize media scrutiny would be such a huge part of her life, adding, “I never thought that this would be easy, but I thought it would be fair. That’s the part that’s really hard to reconcile.”
Prince Harry supported her, saying, “My mum taught me a certain set of values that I will always try to uphold despite the role and the job that sometimes that entails. I will always protect my family and now I have a family to protect. I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum.”
Unfortunately, Harry’s older brother, Prince William, wasn’t too pleased with the comments in the documentary, due to the traditional views and tight lip the Royal Family holds. This prompted rumors of a Prince William/Prince Harry feud.
“This [documentary] interview came as a total shock to the family. They have gone rogue. They are not listening to advisers and think they know better, no matter how many times this keeps backfiring on them. Telling a reporter ‘no one asks if I’m okay’ is a slap in the face of the royal family and British public.
It makes them look unfeeling and brings back terrible memories of the way Diana tried to portray them. They have seen this movie before and won’t let it play again. Saying what she said will enrage William. He sees this and Meghan as all very damaging to the royal family — a family that one day he will be the head of.”
William allegedly also compares Kate Middleton to the actions of his brother and sister-in-law. Said the source, “The contrast to Kate, who waited eight years to give an ‘interview’ until today, couldn’t be more dramatic. Kate gives sound bites about enjoying her visit to Pakistan with her husband, while Meghan does this.”
While appearing on Good Morning Britain, Bradby confirmed that there has been a rift, and that the royal family is looking forward to the brothers being on the same page again.
“There are lots of people who would love there to be, including, I think, the brothers themselves, love them to be closer again. And with any luck, that will happen. But with families, we all know stuff happens, things are said... And also a family dispute within a family firm. You are working in a big family firm, everyone has their wishes and desires and ambitions and if they have to be balanced up and it’s very hard."
On Monday, January 13th, William and Harry released a joint statement addressing the rumors:
"Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a UK newspaper today speculating about the relationship between the Duke of Sussex and the the Duke of Cambridge. For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful."
The statement refers to a story run in The Times of London, suggesting that Meghan and Harry were driven out of the royal family because of William's "bullying attitude," and the Duke and Duchess wished to leave after "constantly being told their place."
Despite these rumors, it's no secret that the brothers have been at odds with one another ever since Harry married Meghan. In the documentary, Harry points out that he and William are “certainly on different paths at the moment, but I’ll always be there for him, and as I know he’ll always be there for me.”
He also revealed that they don’t see each other as much as they used to: “As brothers, you have good days, you have bad days. We don’t see each other as much as we used to, because we’re so busy. But I love him dearly, and the majority of the stuff [reported in the press] is created out of nothing.”
In addition to discussing how public scrutiny has affected them, they also revealed that Meghan had taken legal action against the Mail on Sunday for publishing a private letter she had sent to her father.
Her relationship with her father, Thomas Markle, has been strained, and with the release of the letter, he claims “communications with his daughter were mischaracterized to vilify him.” A long-time friend of the family released the letter to the publication.
Markle said, “I decided to release parts of the letter because of the article from Meghan’s friends in People magazine. I have to defend myself. I only released parts of the letter because other parts were so painful. The letter didn’t seem loving to me. I found it hurtful.”
And another source from the palace told BBC that William is “worried” that the Duke and Duchess “are all right.”
Even before Meghan and Harry tied the knot, William had some concerns.
According to author Katie Nicholl, “William was concerned about how quickly the relationship had moved and wanted to make sure that Harry was making the right decision. What was intended as well-meaning, brotherly concern and a bit of advice went down quite badly with Harry, who felt William wasn’t being as supportive as he might have been.”
As for the Queen, she weighed in on the feud. Back in June, Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, spoke about how Queen Elizabeth handles the rumors, saying, “Her Majesty does not care for the alleged feuding amongst her grandchildren William and Harry. That would make her very sad. But she would never interfere with their lives.”
Currently, the Queen has called a meeting in the wake of Meghan and Harry announcing they are stepping back. The goal is to "agree on next steps for the couple. It follows days of discussions at Buckingham Palace, and consultations between palace officials and members of the British and Canadian governments about the couple's options."
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.