Reports are emerging that, in the aftermath of King Charles’ cancer diagnosis and the Princess of Wales abdominal surgery, Meghan Markle has reached out to Kate to repair their fractured relationship.
The Mirror writes that Meghan made the first move after her husband, Prince Harry, visited the U.K. briefly after it was announced globally that Charles had been diagnosed with a still undisclosed form of cancer. The outlet reports that Meghan has “contacted” Kate and that “moves are being made” behind the scenes, and that Meghan has also reached out to the King himself.
In the wake of their recent health scares, “Meghan has contacted Kate and Charles,” a source speaking to Us Weekly said. “So, moves are being made to reconcile.” A second person added “Meghan is supportive of Harry in all of this, and she wishes the royals—Kate included—the very best.”
The same person said that Kate is “open” to reconciliation and is “willing to move forward,” but “won’t meddle” in her husband Prince William’s relationship with Harry, which still seems fraught with tension. “They can use this as a starting point,” they said. “The consensus is that life is too short, and there’s hope this will lead to repairing the rift.”
They also said that, although Meghan didn’t accompany Harry when he visited the King at his London home, Clarence House, earlier this month, “Meghan was in total agreement that Harry had to be there,” they said. “He got to tell his father how much he loves him and get a fuller account of what Charles is facing.”
Examples of tension between Kate and Meghan are the infamous bridesmaid dress row from Meghan’s wedding to Harry in May 2018. Reports initially suggested that Meghan made Kate cry in the leadup to Meghan’s big day, but Meghan clarified in a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey that it was actually the other way around, and that Meghan had been “hurt” by Kate’s actions.
Harry further elaborated on the situation in his 2023 memoir, Spare, writing that he found Meghan crying “on the floor” after an argument with Kate over Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress. Kate is said to have told Meghan there was a “problem” with the dress, and then allegedly said that all of the bridesmaid dresses needed to be “completely remade.”
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Fast forward to the present and, while it’s unknown if or when Kate and Meghan will meet up with one another in person, OK reports that a phone call between them was “warm and humorous.”
“Hopefully, this can be built upon in the future weeks and months,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said. “Cancer changes everything, and families should be unified, at least publicly, during this very difficult time.”
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
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