Kate Middleton has been ‘hurt and insulted’ by Harry and Meghan and she and Prince William have ‘closed their minds’ to mending family rift, royal expert claims

The Prince and Princess of Wales have ‘closed their minds’ to the possibility that a rift with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can be resolved, a royal expert has said.

Jennie Bond, the BBC’s former royal correspondent, added that it was clear Kate Middleton was “hurt and offended by things Harry and Meghan have said.”

She described how Prince William and his wife had tried to bridge the rift within the royal family at Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, but after a “blazing row” it became clear this was not possible.

Mrs. Bond told it Okay magazine: ‘There comes a point where you just have to accept that happy families are not a game that anyone can play.

“Catherine has been hurt and offended by things Harry and Meghan have said, but she and William are a very strong team, and I suspect that together they have come to the conclusion that the rift with Harry cannot be resolved in the future. near future.

“They closed their minds to that possibility and decided to move on with their lives.”

The rift between Prince Harry and Prince William first came to light in 2019, when they confirmed they had taken “different paths” in life.

This became even worse in January 2020, when Harry and Meghan formally stepped down as working members of the royal family and moved to California, where they remain.

Although Prince Harry has returned to Britain a number of times since then – such as after the deaths of Prince Philip and the late Queen – the rift has not yet been closed.

The group – once dubbed the ‘Fab Four’ – were even photographed together at a funeral service for the late Queen in Windsor.

However, it is likely that a number of claims made in a documentary series by Meghan and Harry – and in the prince’s book, Spare – have increased tensions.

Mrs Bond said that, like his father, ‘William can be quite hot-headed, but Catherine is adept at calming him down’.

She added that she is confident that William and Kate “are a great support to each other and that Catherine is the most incredible source of encouragement to William.”

Their marriage is based on ‘lasting friendship’, according to the royal expert.

Jennie Bond, the BBC’s former royal correspondent, added that it was clear that Kate Middleton was ‘hurt and offended by things Harry and Meghan have said’

She described how Prince William and his wife had tried to bridge the rift within the royal family at Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, but after a “blazing row” it became clear this was not possible.

“I’m sure William has called on the power of that friendship to help him cope with the loss of his wingman, his brother.”

It comes as Buckingham Palace today denied reports that King Charles could be forced to let Prince Harry stay at Kensington Palace the next time he visits Britain.

The dispute stems from alleged tensions surrounding the Duke of Sussex’s role as adviser of state, making him one of seven members of the royal family who can stand in for the king when he is abroad or unwell.

By law, state advisers, including Princess Anne and Prince Edward, are required to have a home in Britain, but California-based Harry is effectively homeless in Britain after being evicted from Frogmore Cottage earlier this year.

The rift between Prince Harry and Prince William first came to light in 2019, when they confirmed they had taken ‘different paths’ in life

Although Prince Harry has returned to Britain a number of times since then – such as after the deaths of Prince Philip and the late Queen – the rift apparently remains.

In an attempt to resolve the issue, sources claim that royal courtiers have discussed renting a property on a royal estate to Harry and Meghan.

Royal sources have said this The Sunday times that one option is an apartment at Kensington Palace, where Prince William and Kate have a home and private office. But these suggestions were quickly shut down.

A friend of Charles said: ‘The King can see that removing Harry as State Advisor would be seen as an act of antagonism and he does not want to do that.

“If, as a result, a pied-à-terre for his son has to be designated somewhere on the royal estate, that seems reasonable to me.”

Buckingham Palace refuted the idea, telling the newspaper bluntly: “These claims are not true.”