Kate and William Gave Princess Lilibet a Special Gift

Prince William walking next to Princess Kate, who is wearing a blue tartan coat — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Lilibet has only been to England once in her life, and with relations between her father, Prince Harry, and uncle, Prince William, remaining frosty, it seems unlikely she'll be close with the Wales family anytime soon. However, a new royal biography has revealed the one olive branch Princess Kate and Prince William sent to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after their daughter's birth.

Meghan and Harry stepped down as senior working royals in early 2020 and moved to Montecito, California—and following their controversial Oprah Winfrey interview, Prince William was left "absolutely seething."

In an excerpt from William & Catherine, The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story (via People), the Mirror's royal editor Russell Myers shares that the Prince of Wales "felt betrayed by Harry to the extent that he vowed never to speak to him again."

However, when the Sussexes welcomed Lilibet Diana—a little sister to son Prince Archie—in June 2021, William and Kate did reach out.

Prince William, Princess Kate, Prince harry and Meghan Markle at Queen Elizabeth's funeral — Prince William, Princess Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are pictured at Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022.

Prince Harry hugging Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet holding hands with Meghan Markle on a bridge over a stream — Meghan shared a family photo featuring Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet on Instagram to celebrate the 2025 holiday season.

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William and Catherine

"William and Catherine sent a gift and a card of congratulations—although that would be the extent of their contact," Myers writes.

Even if they never reconcile with Harry and Meghan, the royal author notes that the Prince and Princess of Wales won't stop Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis from having a relationship with their California relatives.

"William and Catherine had retreated from having any direct contact with the Sussexes, but they privately maintained that if there was a way for their children to have a relationship with their cousins in the future, they would not stand in their way," Myers writes.

Although Prince Harry has been public about not feeling safe bringing his family to the U.K., a change in his taxpayer-funded security status could pave the way for a royal reunion one day—but only time will tell.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.