Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sent shockwaves through the royal family with their triple whammy of their bombshell Oprah interview, Netflix docuseries and Harry’s controversial memoir Spare. So, it’s no surprise that Kate Middleton is said to be feeling worried about Meghan’s latest series foray into TV. But the Princess of Wales is concerned for reasons you may not expect, as a source tells heat that she doesn’t like the idea of her estranged brother-in-law being ‘sidelined’ while Meghan takes centre stage for the new project.
During the trailer for the series – titled With Love, Meghan, which drops on 4 March, and promises to showcase the 43 year old’s favourite tips on cooking, gardening and crafting – Harry, 40, appears for less than one second in the minute-and-a half teaser. And we’re told that Kate, 43, is really feeling for the prince, who she once shared an extremely close bond with.
‘Kate still really cares about Harry, so when she sees this rollout that is almost soley focused on Meghan, with Harry seemingly sidelined, it does worry her that he’s being left out,’ says the insider.
‘She understands that Harry isn’t necessarily going to be front and centre, because it is Meghan’s big project and their joint brand isn’t his focus, but it does ring alarm bells to see him completely playing second fiddle because it’s just so far from the Harry she and other royals have known. They can’t help see it as more proof that he’s becoming a different person, and that’s very sad because, in some ways, it feels like they’re losing him all over again.’
Since the Sussexes rift with the Palace began in 2020 – after Harry and Meghan stepped away from royal life and moved to California, where they live with children Archie, six, and Lilibet, three – it has been reported that Kate has been urging her husband Prince William to extend an olive branch to Harry.
But our source says this latest twist in has her left her feeling more hopeless than ever that their bond can be repaired. We’re told, ‘Kate knows that Harry has to get on with his own life, but she worries that the more he's pursuing this life in America, the more of a stranger he becomes. She feels he’s clearly been relegated to the backseat and that’s never been his style, so it does feel quite disorientating for Kate and the rest of his family.’
Harry also failed to appear in the video Meghan posted when she made her big return to social media earlier this month with her own solo account, although he is rumoured to have filmed it. Despite Kate’s concerns, our insider says Harry insists he’s perfectly happy with the situation after he and Meghan agreed to keep their professional lives more separate.
‘Harry appreciates that Kate cares. He knows she’s coming from a genuine place and he’s grateful for the support she’s offered him, but he just doesn’t things the way she does,’ we’re told. ‘He’s been very clear that there’s no need to worry about him, he insists that he’s very happy to take a supportive role to help Meghan shine. It’s not in Kate’s nature to be bitter and lash out at Meghan, or even blame her, but the fact is this isn’t really the Harry she knows. Both she and the rest of the family worry that he might be getting quite lost in all of this. At the end of the day, Kate just wants him to be happy and she wants him to be a part of their lives, so it’s hard not to be concerned.’
The insider adds, ‘Harry does want to continue to rebuild his relationship with Kate and with the rest of his family, but he’s also determined to make Meghan a part of the conversation. It’s his greatest wish that they could all reconcile, and that Meghan could be welcomed back alongside him.’
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Samuel McManus is a senior content creator for Bauer Media, writing celebrity news and features across five of the company’s brands – heat, Closer, Grazia, Bella and Yours. Samuel has worked at Bauer Media since November 2024.