In a show of touching unity, the Royal Family returned to the spotlight last weekend to celebrate Trooping the Colour at Buckingham Palace.
And this year’s parade also marked another incredibly special occasion – the return of Kate Middleton to public duties after six months amid her battle with cancer. Radiant in white, Kate, 42, was warmly greeted by the thousands of fans who had been desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of her.
But while the King looked overjoyed as he laughed with his much-loved daughter-in-law, along with Prince William, 42, and their children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Prince Louis – two members of the family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, were still glaringly absent.
Now, following reports that Harry – who last attended the parade in 2022 alongside Meghan – had been holding out for an invitation despite the ongoing feud with his family, a source tells Closer how the estranged royal has been left “upset” and “emotional” over the photos of Kate, who he once called “the sister I never had”.
The insider says, “It was painful for Harry to see all his family gathered for Trooping the Colour. He would have dearly loved to have been there, if only to congratulate and support Kate in person on what must have been an incredibly difficult day for her. Harry was particularly upset and emotional when he saw the footage of Kate.
“He’s been so worried about her ever since he received the news of her condition, and while he has managed to connect with her on a few occasions, it’s not nearly as often as he’d like.
“He could see she was putting on a stoic, brave face, but ultimately having the eyes of the world on her was a lot of pressure. The fact he had to watch from 6,000 miles away just made him so sad. It really hammered home how he’s an outsider at this point. He would just love to have her – along with the rest of his family – back in his life properly.”
Harry – who, alongside Meghan, stepped down as a senior working royal in 2020 to lead a new life in California, where the couple now live with their children, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three – last visited the UK in May. But images of him cutting a lonely figure at St Paul’s Cathedral during his 10th anniversary service for the Invictus Games, while his father was “too busy” to see him were a sure sign of his ever-deepening rift with the royals, who he last officially made contact with in November to wish Charles a happy birthday.
Insiders also reported that the Wales’ would not entertain any contact with him during what has been an incredibly difficult time for their family. The distance between them, both physically and emotionally, is a world away from their joint appearances as “The Fab Four” when Meghan first joined the family over six years ago.
The source confirms, “He continues to be heartbroken and confused by the way he’s being treated by the royals. He’s not getting updates on his father or Kate’s health, and even basic communications are pretty well non-existent. It’s as though he doesn’t exist anymore.”
Now the insider says Harry is taking matters into his own hands and is planning another imminent trip to the UK to beg for the family’s, and Kate’s, forgiveness.
They add, “He can’t believe it’s come to this and he’s now saying he’s going to fly over and force them to face him. He’s still a prince, after all, they’re still his family, and whether they like it or not, he’s refusing to just be cast aside.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures and he’s now planning to force the issue and just show up. If they won’t come to him, he’ll go to them.”
Thus far, his attempts at reconciliation have failed, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that the royals have washed their hands of him and Meghan as they continue to attack the monarchy during its most vulnerable time.
First came the Sussexes’ bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, during which they sensationally accused the royals of bullying and racism, with Meghan alleging that Kate made her cry during their famous row over Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress in the lead- up to Harry and Meghan’s 2018 wedding.
The following December brought the release of their Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, which saw them hint at Kate’s “coldness” towards Meghan – something Harry was at pains to reaffirm in his January 2023 memoir, Spare, where he described Kate as “grimacing” at Meghan for asking to borrow her lip gloss. And last week Meghan came under fire once again for releasing a new range of dog treats as part of her new lifestyle venture, American Riviera Orchard, on the same day that Kate made her return to public life.
But one of the biggest casualties of all has been Harry’s relationship with Kate, who once gifted him a “grow-your-own girlfriend” kit for Christmas, with the two famously sharing the same sense of humour.
The source adds, “On one hand Harry is incredibly proud of Kate and encouraged that she obviously has very good doctors and appears to be healthy and in good spirits. But the fact he can’t bond with his beloved sister-in-law in person is something he finds incredibly difficult to live with, to say the very least.”