Us Weekly’s cover story this week is about the ongoing rift/war between Prince William and Prince Harry, or the larger war between the Sussexes and the Windsors. There is very little new information in this piece, but there is some interesting commentary, especially the suggestion that no one in Windsor World expects the Duchess of Sussex to attend the Invictus Games in Birmingham in 2027. There are also quotes about William being constantly afraid that Harry will reveal more of William’s violent or sleazy behavior. Interesting. Some highlights:
William & Harry have no relationship: “There is no relationship,” a source tells Us Weekly of William, 42, and Harry, 40, who have not spoken in more than two years. Says royal historian Marlene Koenig: “Bridges have been burned on both sides.”
William’s reaction to Harry’s BBC interview: The source says William is “absolutely appalled” that Harry spoke out yet again and referenced their dad’s health battle — and believes the future king has reached the point of no return with his younger sibling. “There is no turning back for William,” says the source. “The door is firmly shut.” Another source adds, “Just as Kate has gotten back into action, [Harry and Meghan] pull another stunt,” says a source.
William’s fears: “For William, there’s a fear that Harry would go to the press and talk about what was said between them if he speaks to him,” says Koenig. Adds royal commentator Richard Fitzsimmons: “The royals don’t trust the Sussexes and their relationship with the media. William cannot forgive Harry for having betrayed the royal family in destructive interviews and a memoir while at the same time ruthlessly monetizing their royal connections in the U.S.,” says Fitzsimmons. A second source says William feels “hurt and betrayed” by his brother’s public comments. “[William and Kate] just don’t understand why Harry doesn’t stay quiet.”
Meghan’s presence changed everything: “Everything changed when Meghan came into the fold,” says the second source, adding that the With Love, Meghan star has a lot of influence over her husband. “[Kate and William] feel like she’s encouraging him to push them away.” (The source also says people avoid mentioning Meghan at the palace because it causes Kate, 43, stress.) Royal commentator Amanda Matta says the idea that a reconciliation between the foursome would be more likely if Meghan were out of the picture oversimplifies the fracture between the brothers. “The tensions within the family run much deeper than any one woman’s influence. The cracks were already there. If anything, Meghan’s presence helped Harry process and articulate the ways in which the institution had already failed him,” explains Matta, adding that blaming Meghan “conveniently” allows the royals to avoid reflecting on their parts in the fallout. “It reduces a complicated generational conflict into a simplistic narrative about one woman’s impact.”
Kate was ‘scarred’ by Meghan: The first source says Kate was scarred by Meghan’s 2022 tell-all TV interview, during which she claimed that despite reports to the contrary, it was Kate who had made her cry in the days leading up to her 2018 wedding to Harry. “The reframing of events upset her, and making up a narrative that Kate is mean was devastating,” says the source. “She can’t retaliate, and Meghan knows that.”
Invictus 2027: Fitzsimmons says Harry will probably travel to his home country solo for the 2027 Invictus Games (scheduled to take place in Birmingham), while Meghan is unlikely to want to come regardless of security measures. He cites a new YouGov poll that claims 65 percent of Brits dislike the As Ever founder.
Charles’s funeral: Charles’ inevitable funeral will mark the first time the former “Fab Four” would see each other. (It could also be the last, says the first source: “I can’t imagine William would invite Harry to his coronation.”) Matta says it likely wouldn’t be any kind of fairy-tale reunion, noting, “Even significant occasions like that don’t guarantee a reconciliation.” Harry has said publicly he wasn’t directly informed of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth’s 2022 death or Charles’ cancer diagnosis (which was announced in early 2024). Says Koenig: “I can envision a situation where Harry learns of his father’s illness at the last minute and flies over. But I think access will be regulated, and it will all depend on what the king’s wishes are.”
The most telling quotes: “[William and Kate] just don’t understand why Harry doesn’t stay quiet” and “The reframing of events upset her, and making up a narrative that Kate is mean was devastating.” The Windsors are so profoundly stupid, as are the people who work for them. They cannot believe that the two people targeted in an international smear campaign would dare to speak on the record to dispute the Windsors’ smears! And Kate continues to play these stupid games over the crying story – Kate is now mad about the (accurate) narrative that she’s “mean.” How about the narrative that Kate is so racist, she was expressing “concerns” about the skin color of Meghan’s children? As for “Just as Kate has gotten back into action, [Harry and Meghan] pull another stunt,” I’m not even sure what that’s in reference to, but it’s funny because Kate’s whole deal is pulling stunts to grab attention. The Sussexes are just… working and living their lives. Kate is the one with a whole-ass mood board devoted to style-stalking Meghan.
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Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, cover courtesy of Us Weekly.
