Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond has said it’s clear that Kate in particular “has been hurt and insulted by things that Harry and Meghan have said”, reports the Daily Mail.
Bond said William and Kate had tried to resolve the rift at Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, but it ended in a “blazing row”.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have reportedly closed their minds to a resolution of their rift with the Sussexes. Photo / AP
She told OK magazine, “There comes a point when you just have to accept that happy families [is] not a game that everyone can play.”
“Catherine has been hurt and insulted by things that Harry and Meghan have said, but she and William are a very strong team, and I suspect that together, they’ve come to the conclusion that the rift with Harry cannot be fixed in the foreseeable future.
“They’ve closed their minds to that possibility and decided to get on with their lives.”
The brothers first fell out in 2019, confirming they had chosen “different paths”.
Tension was heightened in January 2020 when the Sussexes stepped down as working royals and made the move to California.
Harry has since returned to his home country several times, but the relationship has not been mended.
The brothers and their wives, once known as the “Fab Four”, were pictured together at the Queen’s funeral service last year.
Britain's Prince William (left) Kate, Princess of Wales (second left), Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex (right) pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II as the coffin rests in Westminster Hall for her lying-in-state ceremony in London on Wednesday, September 14, 2022. Photo / Christopher Furlong / Pool Photo via AP
But the release of Harry and Meghan’s Netflix documentary and the Duke’s memoir Spare are likely to have heightened tensions even further.
Bond said of William, “He can be quite hot-headed, but Catherine is adept at calming him down ... [they are] a great support to one another, and Catherine is the most incredible source of encouragement for William.”
She added that William has likely drawn on the strength of their relationship “to help him come to terms with the loss of his wingman, his brother”.
It comes after Buckingham Palace denied claims the King would have to let Prince Harry stay at Buckingham Palace on his next UK visit.
Harry and Meghan now live in California with their two children. Photo / Getty Images
As a counsellor-of-state, the Duke is one of seven royals who could serve as deputy for the King if he is away or unwell. But by law, those in this role are required to have a UK residence.
Harry, who is based in California, is essentially homeless in Britain after he and Meghan’s eviction from Frogmore Cottage earlier this year.
Sources told the Sunday Times that to resolve the issue, the Sussexes may be permitted to rent an apartment at Kensington Palace, where William and Kate also have a residence and office.
An insider said, “The King can see that to remove Harry as a counsellor of state would be seen as an act of antagonism, and he does not want to do that.”
“If, as a consequence of that, somewhere on the royal estate needs to be earmarked as a pied-a-terre for his son, that seems a reasonable thing to do.”
But Buckingham Palace refuted the reports, telling the Sunday Times, “These claims are not true”.
