Kate Middleton has no intention of pushing Prince William to meet with his estranged brother Prince Harry during the Duke of Sussex's current visit to the United Kingdom, according to multiple royal experts. The Princess of Wales, often described as a peacemaker within the royal family, is instead focused on protecting her family from what insiders describe as the "Sussex circus" of public drama and media briefings.
Speculation that Kate might be working behind the scenes to arrange a meeting between the brothers emerged after a source told Us Weekly that she was "trying to convince" William to see Harry. However, several royal commentators who spoke to Fox News Digital dismissed that notion, citing the toll that Harry's recent disclosures have taken on the family. Christopher Andersen, author of "Kate!," said it is "a year of magical thinking" to suggest the Princess of Wales has the emotional bandwidth to cope with the Sussexes amid her own health challenges and family responsibilities.
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard echoed that sentiment, stating that her sources do not believe Catherine is pushing for a meeting. "She isn't pushing for a meeting. She is, however, the one royal who could soften things emotionally, hence the reason Princess Catherine, 'the peacemaker,' keeps rearing her head," Chard said. But she added that the feeling inside the Wales camp is that Catherine will not allow her family, especially William, to be "sucked back into the Sussex drama." The Sussexes' pattern of briefings, counter-briefings, and public spectacle is seen as tiresome and detrimental to the Wales family's well-being.
Harry's trip to London, which began July 6 and is expected to last through July 11, has been marked by controversy from the start. His spokesperson told People magazine that an offer for him to stay at Buckingham Palace was withdrawn after he formally accepted it, but palace sources disputed that account, saying Harry failed to respond by a deadline and that his later acceptance came too late. The Duke had also hoped to bring his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, for the first time since 2022. However, after learning that the family would receive police protection only while on royal property—and not throughout the visit—it was reported on July 4 that Meghan and the children would not accompany him. Harry arrived in London alone.
It remains unclear whether Harry will meet with his father, King Charles III. Russell Myers, royal editor of the Mirror, reported that the king "has no plans to alter his diary this week" to see Harry, particularly after his son decided not to bring the grandchildren. The king, who is undergoing cancer treatment, has met Prince Archie only a handful of times and has met Princess Lilibet only once, in the summer of 2022. Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment but did not receive a response.
Royal experts noted that Harry's actions have complicated any potential reconciliation. "Harry has made a song and dance out of this visit," Chard said. "If reconciliation was truly the goal, you would think he would have flown Meghan, Archie and Lilibet over quietly to see King Charles. A warm family reunion without the leaks or press involvement. Instead, Harry remains a wild card. He's unpredictable to the establishment." The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior working royals in 2020, citing unbearable intrusions by the British press and a lack of support from the palace. Harry has also been denied restoration of taxpayer-funded security by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC).
British royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that William has zero interest in reuniting with his brother, and Kate will stand by her husband. "King Charles has always been hopeful regarding a form of reconciliation, while Prince William remains resolute in opposition to any such thawing," Fordwich said. "Given Prince William's stance, it is highly unlikely that Princess Catherine has been pressing him for a reconciliation. She, too, suffered from all of Harry's disclosures in 'Spare.' She, along with many, is beyond frustrated at Harry's shenanigans, given the debacle around his stay."
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams added that the trip was a mess before Harry arrived. "Princess Catherine would support whatever William decided in dealing with his brother. Looking at the chaos the visit has become, it isn't difficult to see why William and Catherine are certain to stay out of it. If the Sussexes were sincere, it would be private." Chard stressed that the position of Kensington Palace, which handles the offices of the Prince and Princess of Wales, hasn't changed. "The optics of a meeting right now are damaging to the institution," she said. "Peace is wanted. But not at the cost of stability."
In May, Andersen had told Fox News Digital that Kate refused to stop trying to mend William and Harry's relationship, but Harry's remarks about the king's mortality became the breaking point. Kensington Palace told Fox News Digital it does not comment on books. "She would not give up," Andersen said. "Even after Harry threw William under the bus in his memoir 'Spare,' she was willing to keep trying. And the final break came. The final straw came really shortly after the king was diagnosed with cancer, when Harry essentially said, 'I'd like to mend fences because...'" The ongoing rift underscores the deep divisions within the royal family, with no clear path to reconciliation in sight.
