ALL eyes were on Princess Kate as she was pictured side-by-side to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on a walkabout after the Queen’s death.
The outing was the first public event as a four since the Sussexes’ Oprah Winfrey interview and it was the “hardest thing she’d [Kate’d] ever had to do”, claims a royal author.
Prince William is said to have invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to join him and Kate inspecting floral wreaths left by well wishes in September 2022.
The once-dubbed ‘Fab Four’ hadn’t been pictured together as a four since Harry and Meghan’s final day as working royals in 2020, when they attended the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey.
It was also the first time Kate had been photographed in public alongside Meghan, after she claimed to Oprah that Kate had made her cry over the infamous bridesmaid dress, not the other way round.
Royal author Robert Jobson claimed in his upcoming book, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, that Kate didn’t find the walkabout easy.
He alleged: “Picking up the phone to Harry, he [William] suggested that they and their wives put on a show of unity for the sake of their late grandmother by viewing the floral tributes at Windsor together. Harry accepted.
“The resulting images suggested they’d all slipped back into their Fab Four routine, but Catherine later admitted to a member of the Royal Family that such was the extent of ill-feeling between the couples, the walkabout had been the hardest thing she’d ever had to do.”
Kate had been seen chatting politely to Prince Harry after Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, following him stepping back as a senior working royal.
Robert added: “At his funeral, Catherine—exuding poise, calm and regal impregnability—took her place as one of the most senior Royal Family members, supporting the frail and grieving Queen and comforting Prince Charles.
“She also deployed her diplomatic skills to try to deal with the bad blood between her husband and his brother as they both mourned their grandfather in silence.
“Harry had walked quickly towards Catherine as he left the chapel behind her husband and other family members.
“Subtly, she increased her pace so they could catch up with William, a few steps ahead.
“She then fell back, to allow the brothers to walk next to each other and at least exchange a few words.
“It gave the public the impression that they were putting on a united front for their late grandfather, a welcome mini-truce in their feud.”
Kate had earlier been in the same room as Harry and Meghan during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.
Both couples had attended a service of thanksgiving for Queen Elizabeth II but they did not engage with one another.
Meghan criticised Kate to Oprah in her 2021 bombshell chat, and said she had made her cry over Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress.
The Duchess of Sussex claimed: “The narrative with Kate which didn’t happen was really, really difficult and something that…I think that’s when everything changed, really.
“The reverse happened.
“And I don’t say that to be disparaging to anyone, because it was a really hard week of the wedding.
“And she was upset about something, but she owned it, and she apologised.
“And she brought me flowers and a note, apologising.
“And she did what I would do if I knew that I hurt someone, right, to just take accountability for it.”
Prince Harry opened up about his recollection of the incident in his 2023 Spare memoir.
He claimed Kate said: “Charlotte’s dress is too big, too long, too baggy.
“She cried when she tried it on at home.”
Harry claimed Meghan replied: “Right, and I told you the tailor has been standing by since eight a.m. Here. At KP.
“Can you take Charlotte to have it altered, as the other moms are doing?”
WHEN Prince William and Kate reunited with Prince Harry and Meghan at the weekend, many were left hopeful this was an olive branch. But it seems that’s not quite the case, as body language expert Judi James has revealed the real reasons behind the Prince of Wales’ decision to invite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to the walkabout at Windsor Castle.
Speaking to The Sun, she says: “This ‘reunion’ looked like an intentional gesture rather than a signal that the Fab Four were somehow back on track.
“The body language story that underlined this appearance suggested little more than a desire to do the right, adult thing to respect both their grandmother and their father, the new King.”
And Judi says Kate made it abundantly clear how she feels about Meghan, from the moment the four arrived in the same car.
She says: “Kate got out of the car and slammed the door herself, striding off and leaving Meghan trailing in her wake.
“There was no eye contact between them and Meghan paused and hung back while Kate rushed to join the brothers and greet their host.”
And it didn’t get any better by the end of the walkabout either.
Judi says: “As the four stood face to face at the end of the outing, both Meghan and Kate sucked their lips in rather than smiling at each other and each other’s husbands.
“Kate pulled back so far that William put an arm out to pull her towards Harry and Meghan for the final line-up pose.
“She was off quickly afterwards, opening her own door of the car and jumping in while Harry rushed to open Meghan’s for her.”
Judi says Meghan and Harry were both feeling very uncomfortable throughout the walkabout – and there were a few different gestures they both made to put the other at ease.
When she was standing away from the other three, as they arrived, Harry moved round to join her and put his arm around her waist with his thumb rubbing her back.
Later on, Meghan was giving back-rubs and “partial hugs” to Harry.
“Even their hand clasp involved Meghan’s thumb rubbing Harry’s hand as an even more emphatic signal of comfort and reassurance,” Judi adds.
Kate, according to Harry, replied: “No, all the dresses need to be remade.”
Prince Harry also claimed that Meghan had offended Kate at one stage saying she had baby brain, to which Kate replied: “We are not close enough for you to talk about my hormones.”Following Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis, the Sussexes released a short statement of support, which read: “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”
