The so-called ‘Fab Four’ of Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle once seemed to promise an exciting future for the monarchy and a chance to connect with the next generation.
But after Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals and quit the UK in 2020 – splitting from the foursome’s joint charity to set up their own in the process – it is safe to say the relationship soured.
The rift between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the royals has only grown deeper after the pair’s ongoing revelations about The Firm. This included claims during a bombshell chat with Oprah
Winfrey in 2021 that the palace dismissed fears about Meghan’s mental health and Harry detailing arguments he and Meghan had with the now-Prince and Princess of Wales in his controversial memoir Spare in 2023.
However, it appears a reunion for the couples could now be on the cards as William has
declared that he and Kate hope to work overseas more this year after his wife’s battle with cancer.
Speaking towards the end of last year he said, ‘Hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year, so we’ll have some more trips maybe lined up.’
A source tells Closer that at least one of those trips will see the future king and queen head Stateside after applying for a trademark to launch their Royal Foundation charity in the US. And Kate continues to be hopeful that a visit to Harry’s new homeland will give him and William a chance to put their grievances behind them once and for all.
The source says, ‘It’s still being discussed, but Kate is feeling a lot better and has said she’d love the chance to get over to America.
‘She sees it as a rare chance to meet up with Harry and feels like it would be a great step towards making peace.’
Kate has been pushing for a reunion for the brothers – who reportedly avoided each other when they were last together at their uncle Lord Robert Fellowes’ funeral in August – and the source adds that her main mission is to get them together this year.
‘One of Kate’s top goals for 2025 is to find a way to mend fences between William and Harry so that is front and centre on her mind whenever there’s talk about going to America. She will be pushing for the brothers to have a sit down if this trip happens, she’s very singleminded about it. In her heart of hearts, Kate wants Harry to come back to the UK with them and end the feud with William – and their father King Charles.’
The source continues, ‘Although they haven’t announced anything yet, William and Kate have made significant moves towards launching their Royal Foundation charity in America. The details are hushhush
but, by all accounts, it’s something they’re working on pretty intensely.
'Naturally people are speculating that this is all aimed at one-upping Meghan and Harry since they see America as their territory, but Kate and William are adamant that this is not the case.'
‘Expanding the royal family’s charitable work on a more global scale, and into America, has long been talked about. This isn’t coming out of nowhere.’
In fact, it is believed Kate hopes that this could send a different message to Harry and Meghan – who have been photographed volunteering in Los Angeles in the wake of the devastating wildfire.
Of course, if William and Harry can patch things up, this means Kate will have to face a reunion of her own with Meghan, who has pushed back the release of her Netflix series to March due to the LA fires.
The sisters-in-law have been known to have a frosty relationship, with Harry claiming Kate made Meghan
cry in the lead up to their wedding in 2018.
The source says, ‘Kate is looking at this as a chance to have some common ground with Meghan and Harry. She feels that if any progress is going to be made, they need to get together face-to-face. Since Meghan has not got any plans to return to Britain, the only way that this is likely to happen is in America.
‘If Harry and William can sit down together and make some progress, that will make it much easier for the four of them to eventually sit down and break bread. It’s all about baby steps right now but Kate is very keen to get the ball rolling.
'This wall of silence can only go on for so long, and after everything she went through last year, Kate’s keenly aware of how precious life is. She doesn’t want to hang on to bad blood, and she doesn’t want William walking around with that weight on his shoulders either.
‘She’s desperate for them to reconnect and knows the only way that’s really going to happen is if all four of them can make peace.’