Royal Author Claims Princess Kate "Witnessed" Prince William and Prince Harry's "Competitive Nature" Before the "Disintegration" of Their "Bond"

"She saw it as her duty to keep the two brothers on the same team."

Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry ride in a car together and wave at royal fans
(Image credit: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

At one time, Princess Kate and Prince William appeared to be extremely close to Prince Harry. In fact, the trio would regularly conduct official royal engagements together, and Kate's rapport with her brother-in-law seemed clear. However, Harry and William's estrangement allegedly changed the Royal Family's dynamic, and according to one royal author, Princess Kate might have predicted the fallout.

In the new royal biography, William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, royal expert Russell Myers discusses Kate's involvement in Harry and William's sibling relationship. "The true disintegration of William and Harry's bond would not occur until many years later, but Catherine witnessed their competitive nature and often acted as a peacemaker," the author claimed.

According to Myers, Princess Kate's childhood as part of the Middleton family meant she always attempted to keep familial relationships cohesive. "Her upbringing in a close-knit, loving family environment, where supporting each other was almost an unofficial family motto, spurred her actions," Myers claimed.

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Prince Harry, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge depart after the Royal wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall at Canongate Kirk on July 30, 2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland

"Catherine witnessed their competitive nature and often acted as a peacemaker," the author claimed.

(Image credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Myers continued, "Whether counseling William or having a quiet word in Harry's ear, she saw it as her duty to keep the two brothers on the same team, as did their senior aides."

In an interview with Marie Claire's senior royal editor, Kristin Contino, author Myers revealed that Prince William actually questioned the way Prince Harry was treated as a child. "The issue of treating the 'heir and spare' as completely separate entities is something William has always wanted to change," Myers shared.

Princess Kate, Prince William, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry walking in front of a car at Windsor Castle

"She saw it as her duty to keep the two brothers on the same team."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Myers continued, "It's not how he and Catherine have brought up their own children and William saw fundamental problems with the different treatment he was given as a child to his brother. In his view, it wasn't healthy.”

Perhaps, in the future, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Princess Kate will be able to repair their fractured relationship, after all.

Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.