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KATE Middleton is ‘optimistic’ but Meghan Markle is a ‘roadblock’ and will ‘stand in the way’ of Harry and William’s reconciliation, a source has claimed.
An insider has revealed that whilst Kate Middleton, 42, is said to be encouraging her husband to make amends with his brother Harry, 40, in time for Christmas, there’s seemingly still one roadblock to them being a happy family again: Meghan Markle.
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According to the source, the 43-year-old Duchess, who is yet to win back the trust of the Waleses, is only happy for Harry to bury the hatchet if her feelings are taken into account.
The source told Heat World: “Meghan is all for Harry making peace with his family, but she’s not going to let them sideline her in the process.
“She’s been very clear that she’s not about to let William, or anyone else, drive a wedge between her and Harry. Any attempt to handle things with just Harry is a no-go.
“She feels strongly that she and Harry are a team, and if his family wants to welcome him back but not her, that will be a dealbreaker.”
Both Meghan and Harry have been vocal in their criticism of the Royal Family since they left the UK in 2019.
Whilst relations between William, 42, and Harry have been strained for years, their rift became even more apparent when Harry and Meghan spoke out against the Royal Family during their interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 – where they claimed Kate had made Meghan cry ahead of her 2018 wedding in an argument over bridesmaid dresses.
Harry then made a string of bombshell claims about William in his controversial memoir, Spare, claiming that William had once ‘knocked him to the floor’ in a physical fight and that he had also pointed his finger in Meghan’s face and branded her ‘rude’.
But in recent months, Harry, who is now based in California with Meghan, 43, and their two children, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, in a sprawling £12 million, nine-bedroom mansion in Montecito, has made an increasing number of trips back to Britain.
Harry returned to visit his father, King Charles, 75, in February this year and again for the Invictus Games in May, but was unable to meet with any family members during his latter trip due to a “diary clash”.
And whilst both William and Harry did attend their uncle Sir Robert Fellowes’ memorial service in August – they reportedly kept their distance.
It was reported that the brothers arrived discreetly and didn’t exchange a single glance.
Meanwhile, Meghan, who is reportedly ‘incredibly nervous’ about facing the royals again, has not been seen in the UK since attending the late Queen’s funeral in 2022.
But now, the source has claimed that those close to the royals believe Harry could be trying to make a return to the fold without his wife.
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The source added: “Harry’s solo trips, and this image he’s putting forward of being his own man again, have got people whispering that he’d be willing to come to the table without Meghan to get the ball rolling, but that’s not anything he or Meghan have said. Officially, they are still very much a package deal.”
And when it comes to peace talks with the two brothers, the source shared: “There is a big worry that Meghan could turn out to be a real roadblock in the peace talks.
She’s worried Meghan may stand in the way
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“Kate is still very optimistic, she’s seen a lot of changes in Harry, and she does believe he’s ready to compromise and let some of the past go, but she’s worried Meghan may stand in the way.”
The source continued: “As vocal as Harry’s been about wanting to reconcile, a lot of people do feel he’s still under Meghan’s influence and the worry is her stance could make it difficult for him to truly reach out.
“At the end of the day, Meghan and Kate both have very different ideas on what it will take for them to reconcile.”
A timeline of Prince Harry’s family feud
IN 2018, the Sun told how “simmering tension
The first hints of friction reportedly came after William was introduced to Meghan when she was staying at Kensington Palace.
Once she’d returned home to Canada, William and Harry sat down for a brother-to-brother chat.
He knew Harry was already head-over-heels for her but it has been claimed he advised him to take it slowly.
The younger prince reportedly didn’t take too kindly to the advice, with one royal source saying he “went mental”.
Then in June 2019 Harry and Meghan officially split off from the charity they shared with William and Kate.
The Royal Foundation will be divided between the Sussexes and Cambridges as the couples focus on their own separate charitable endeavours.
Prince William and Prince Harry first established the Royal Foundation in 2009 before Kate joined two years later shortly after their engagement was announced.
The trio would often appear together at events and the Foundation had huge successes with projects like the Invictus Games for injured veterans and the mental health Heads Together campaign.
The Royal Foundation said the decision was made following the conclusion of a review into its structure – but added both couples will continue to work together in the future.
Harry and Meg were living in close proximity to Kate and Wills within the Kensington Palace estate, but they switched to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor before baby Archie was born.
The move further increased rumours of a fallout.
Harry also hinted in his ITV documentary “Harry and Meghan, An African Journey” that he and his brother had grown apart.
In 2021, Harry and Meghan give their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey where Harry accused his dad of cutting him off financially.
Harry then jetted back to UK to join William in unveiling a statue to their mother Princess Diana in the grounds of Kensington Palace. But sources claimed William didn’t want to attend the memorial amid their ongoing rift.
In 2022, just before their grandmother the Queen died, sources claimed Kate acts as a “peacemaker” between the brothers.
Harry claimed his brother “knocked him to the floor” during an argument about Meghan, in his memoir.
In Spare, Harry said William branded Meghan “rude” and “difficult” during a row.
Harry alleged William “grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor”.
He said he was left with a visible injury to his back following the argument in 2019 at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, where he was living at the time.
In January this year, Harry flew in to be with Charles after the monarch’s shock cancer diagnosis.
Harry flew back to the US the following day – without seeing Wills.
In May he visited the UK for a three-day visit without seeing King Charles or Prince William.
It’s been reported that Kate, 42, is ‘desperate’ for the brothers to make peace, and although William is said to be softening to the idea, he still needs convincing that Harry won’t go back to his old ways.
Kate has long been hailed as a peacemaker in the family, as royal biographer Robert Jobson, claimed: “An instinctive peacemaker, she has smoothed the way for William and his father to have a better relationship than they had in the past.”
As a result, the source confirmed: “She has been instrumental in encouraging William to open up. She feels strongly that the family needs to heal, especially with the uncertainty surrounding King Charles’ health. For her, Christmas would be the perfect time for a fresh start.”
William wants Harry to admit that he was the one in the wrong
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For William to move on, the source claimed: “William needs to see real evidence that Harry has changed before he agrees to any type of peace talks.
“Harry would love to just put this behind them, but William needs a lot more than that. He wants to feel assured that Harry is done with the public attacks on the family and has genuinely reflected on his past actions.
“A public statement rescinding the hurtful things he’s said would be a good start, William wants Harry to admit that he was the one in the wrong.
“If he’s going to win William’s trust again, Harry needs to demonstrate accountability to their father, Camilla, Kate, the kids and, of course, to William.”
Why did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle step back as senior working royals?
PRINCE Harry has always wanted out of the Royal Family and the repercussions will be felt for years, an expert has claimed.
The Duke of Sussex has lived in California with his wife Meghan Markle since 2020 after they dramatically quit their jobs as working royals and moved across the pond.
Katie Nicholl, who is Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent, told The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show that Megxit did not come as a surprise to her.
Speaking to The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson, the commentator explained: “Anyone who knows Harry is aware he’s always wanted a way out of the Royal Family.
“He’s said multiple times on the record that he wished he’d never been born a prince.
“I think he really is living the life he wants to now. It’s very, very sad that it’s played out the way it has.”
In a statement made on the Sussexes’ Instagram account as they stepped back in 2020, the pair wrote: “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution.
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.
“It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.
“We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.
“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.”
