Kate’s 'Coolness' and William’s 'Bullying' Led to Rift With Harry and Meghan, Book Claims

Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, there has been speculation that the Sussexes didn’t get along with the Cambridges, with some reports saying that Prince William and Kate Middleton’s behaviour was among the reasons that prompted Harry and Meghan to step down from their royal duties and move to North America.

Kate Middleton’s "coolness" and Prince William’s "bullying" led to the rift with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, claims journalist and writer Andrew Morton in his book “Meghan: A Hollywood Princess”. The book itself was released in 2018, but the author added six new chapters, which were serialised by the Daily Mail.

Morton disputes Meghan Markle’s claim that Buckingham Palace has been perpetuating falsehoods about the Sussexes, noting that the Firm (aka senior members of the family and their staff) "bent over backwards to help" her adjust to royal life.

"The Duchess was given a 'formidable' staff who spent hundreds of hours checking social media and reported trolls to police", Morton writes.

At the same time, he notes that Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle failed to develop a cordial relationship. Like the Queen, the Duchess of Cambridge offered Meghan “friendliness but not friendship”, the journalist writes, stressing that Kate’s cool and reserved nature had profound consequences on her relationship with Meghan Markle.

Prince William, for his part, was described as a "bully" by Morton. This attitude, he writes, made the Sussexes feel driven out and contributed to Harry and William’s "Cain and Abel fallout".

More Allegations and Royals’ Response to the Claims

Over the past three years, several books detailing relations inside the royal family, including between the Sussexes and the Cambridges, have been released and both couples have come under criticism for their behaviour, depending on which camp the author supported. Mr Morton seems to hold a centre position, not favouring either particular side.

Other authors of unauthorised biographies have previously claimed that Prince William’s "snobbish" attitude and Kate Middleton’s frosty welcome of Meghan led to the rift between the couples. Media speculation about their purported discord began after the Sussexes said they no longer wished to reside at Kensington Palace with the rest of the family, but wanted to have their own space following their wedding.

More rumours appeared after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to split from the joint charity organisation they chaired with the Cambridges.

Prince Harry did publicly admit that there were disagreements between him and William, but said that he “loves” his sibling "dearly".

Last January, the two brothers released a joint statement after local media wrote about Prince William being a "bully".

"For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful", the royals wrote, adding that they were "deeply, deeply unhappy about the claims".

For her part, Meghan Markle described her sister-in-law as a “good person” during a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. Kate Middleton has never publicly commented on her relationship with Meghan.