Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were back in the headlines last week, in one of their first joint public outings for months. Beaming for the cameras, the couple arrived in New York for the Time 100 Summit.
But despite the smiles, sources reveal to Closer that behind the scenes, the royal rift between the Sussexes and the Prince and Princess of Wales is reaching toxic levels, after Harry and Meghan were left outraged thanks to a series of digs from William and Kate.
The Sussexes – who left royal life behind in March 2020 for a fresh start in America - were said to be ‘infuriated’ when the Wales family were seen to be supporting jewellery line Aya, which is owned by Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend, Chelsy Davy. Zimbabwe-born aristocrat, Chelsy, 39, was in an on-off relationship with Harry for five years until 2009.
‘Supporting Chelsy’s jewellery line has sparked frustrations within the Sussex household,’ a source says, after William and Kate’s daughter Princess Charlotte, nine, wore a ruby-red necklace from Aya’s new collection during a recent family appearance. ‘The move was perceived as deliberate and only fanned the flames rather than help bring the Sussexes and Waleses closer together. While Harry and Meghan have been open to a reconciliation in recent years, it hasn’t gotten past William or Kate. They feel there is too much water under the bridge and damage done to be able to come back from it.’
Meanwhile, other perceived ‘messages’ towards Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43 - who are parents to Archie, five, and three-year-old Lilibet - include Kate’s decision to wear a deep burgundy coat to her annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey.
In an episode of Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, the former Suits actress explained that she had avoided colourful hues during her time as a working royal. Instead, she revealed she stuck to a palette of ‘camel, beige and white’ - so as not to clash with senior royals, who should not wear the same colour.
But at the Christmas event, several members of The Firm, including Zara Tindall and even Princess Charlotte, wore shades of burgundy - a move interpreted by some as a coordinated and direct revenge after Meghan’s revelation.
‘Meghan’s comments about royals not wearing the same colour proved to be quite a comedy moment for the women in the royal family,’ the insider says. ‘Because of that, they decided to turn up at the next event in the same colour. The move didn’t go unnoticed on the other side of the pond.’
William, 42, and Kate, 43 - who are also parents to Prince George, 11, and Prince Louis, seven - have been at loggerheads with the Sussexes for over half a decade, with Harry revealing a number of explosive claims in his 2023 autobiography. These included that his brother had physically attacked him, and that Wills allegedly branded Meghan ‘difficult’, ‘rude’ and ‘abrasive’.
In another extract, Harry credited therapy with helping him process difficult emotions and preventing family tensions from escalating physically. He wrote, ‘I can pretty much guarantee today that if I wasn’t doing therapy sessions like I was, and being able to process that anger and frustration, that I would’ve fought back, 100 percent.’
But during a royal engagement to a hospital in Liverpool, Kate appeared to shut down Harry’s claims.
‘Talking therapies don’t work for some people, they’re not for everybody,’ she commented. ‘It’s so important to have a range of therapies.’
And, despite reports that the Meghan had made her sister-in-law cry in 2018, the mum of two claimed years later that it was actually Kate who reduced her to tears, over a disagreement about flower-girl dresses. She also said she was ‘silenced’ by the royal family and directed to never comment on false reports.
Meghan commented, ‘That was hard to reconcile because it was only once we were married and everything started to really worsen that I came to understand that not only was I not being protected, but that they were willing to lie to protect other members of the family.’
But relations are said to have worsened after Kate ‘trod on Meghan’s toes’ where homemaking is concerned. Earlier this year, amid the launch of Meghan’s brand, As Ever – which incorporates her homemade jam - Kate visited Meadow Street Community Garden in Pontypridd, where she discussed the making of plum jam. ‘I’ll send you my recipe so you can try it,’ she told the group. Royal commentator Charles Rae alleged that the Princess of Wales knew ‘exactly what she was doing’ with her remarks and even quipped that a case of ‘jam wars’ was ensuing.
‘Let’s just say Kate’s jam move, along with using Chelsy’s jewellery line, is what stings the most,’ the insider adds. ‘Going after businesses and ex-girlfriends is low. It hasn’t flown under the radar.’