Kate Middleton's 'intervention' before Prince Harry married Meghan Markle


Prince Harry and Meghan Markle started dating in 2016, going on to get married in a beautiful ceremony at St George's chapel two years later and welcoming their son, Archie Harrison, soon after.
However, in a new book, Royals at War: The Untold Story of Harry and Meghan’s Shocking Split with the House of Windsor, journalists Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett claim that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, issued stark warnings to Harry about his relationship.
The authors claim that the Duke of Sussex was drawn to Meghan's 'confidence, commitment, drive and ambition' and 'subconsciously he was seeking a figure to replace the mother so cruelly torn from him at a vulnerable age.'
Harry has always had a close bond with Kate, once calling her 'the big sister I never had', and a royal source previously told the Daily Mail: 'Kate has quite a different relationship with Harry than she has with William. Harry appeals to her sillier side because he is carefree, footloose and loves banter.
'He finds things funny about people and says so... Harry is free and easy, with a 'let’s have the whole bottle' sort of attitude.
'Kate also adores the way Harry plays with her children - he is very good with them, a charming big kid and silly uncle.'
But the Duchess reportedly had concerns for her brother-in-law and the Cambridges allegedly urged Harry to 'take things slowly', with Kate said to have asked Harry if Meghan was 'the right one'.
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
In the book, Howard and Tillet claim that she 'gently reminded him that he was dating someone with a completely different life and past, career and it would take time, care and attention for them to integrate,' and that it was a 'well-intentioned intervention.'
Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals earlier this year and have since relocated to California. While there were various reports about the prince's relationship with William following the move, the brothers are reportedly 'in touch on the phone and via video calls'.
Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.
-
Penn Badgley has written songs for every one of his A-list girlfriends, from Zoë Kravitz to Blake Lively
By Jenny Proudfoot
-
10 extraordinary mothers around the world
We celebrate the life-changing work of women who are changing the world for the better
By Mischa Anouk Smith
-
I tried TikTok's lemon balm tea for a week to see if it can really help to reset your nervous system - my honest review
Sit back and pour yourself a cup of calm.
By Anna Bartter