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Privacy NoticeThe Princess of Wales is said to be deeply upset by the fallout between Prince William and Prince Harry. The trio, once inseparable, have drifted apart following Harry’s marriage to Meghan Markle, leading to his near estrangement from the Royal Family. The repeated public criticisms of the Royal Family by the Sussexes have reportedly left William and Kate feeling deeply hurt and betrayed. A reunion now seems unlikely, with reports suggesting that William has completely ‘cut off’ his younger brother. According to royal author Robert Lacey in his book Battle of the Brothers, Kate dealt with the growing tensions by being “wary of Meghan from the start”.
The two couples were first nicknamed ‘The Fab Four’
(Image: Getty Images)
Prince William, on the other hand, felt that Meghan was ‘stealing his beloved brother away from him’, and suspected Meghan was ‘hostile’ to the royal system. Robert also suggested that the final straw for the former ‘Fab Four’ came when William was made aware of bullying allegations against Meghan. William was informed about claims that the Duchess had ‘bullied’ palace staff members and, after an unsuccessful phone call to discuss matters with his brother, decided to ‘throw Harry out’ and split their households, the author claimed. Robert quoted a Kensington Palace insider as saying: “Meghan portrayed herself as the victim, but she was the bully. People felt run over by her. They thought she was a complete narcissist and sociopath – basically unhinged,” reports the Mirror.
The Duchess was the subject of a bullying enquiry
(Image: PA)
The bullying claims surfaced in March 2021 when The Times reported that Meghan had forced two aides out of Kensington Palace. The report detailed that a complaint was made against the Duchess in October 2018, just five months after her marriage to Prince Harry. It’s alleged by Jason Knauf, former communications secretary for Harry and Meghan, that the Duchess “drove two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member”. The Times article suggests Knauf emailed Prince William’s then-private secretary Simon Case, aiming to get Buckingham Palace to protect staff who were supposedly under extreme pressure from Meghan. It also claimed that Harry “pleaded” with Knauf not to proceed with the allegations during a meeting, which the Sussexes’ lawyer has stated never occurred.
There was reportedly tension between the quartet in the early days
(Image: Getty Images)
Nevertheless, Meghan swiftly refuted all bullying accusations, branding them as part of a “calculated smear campaign”. A statement from the Sussexes’ spokesperson declared, “Let’s just call this what it is – a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation.” “We are disappointed to see this defamatory portrayal of the Duchess of Sussex given credibility by a media outlet. It’s no coincidence that distorted several-year-old accusations aimed at undermining the duchess are being briefed to the British media shortly before she and the duke are due to speak openly and honestly about their experience of recent years.” This statement was released just days before Harry and Meghan’s highly anticipated interview with Oprah Winfrey.Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnKate MiddletonMeghan MarkleOprah WinfreyPrince HarryPrince William
