When additional security was not approved — with Charles declining to intervene and William offering no backing — the rift between the brothers began to deepen.
Catherine, long regarded as a calming influence in earlier disagreements, is said to have eventually concluded that there was little more she could do.
“At first she had thought William and Harry’s squabbles were rooted in immaturity or stubbornness, on both sides, but Harry and Meghan’s attitude towards palace staff, who she and William cared about, set the couples on an entirely different course,” Myers said.
The Fallout
While the Royal Family has never publicly detailed the breakdown that ultimately led the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to step back from royal duties and move to California in 2020, Harry and Meghan have spoken openly about their grievances.
In their 2021 interview with Oprah, the Sussexes alleged racism within the Royal Family. Harry later wrote in his 2023 memoir, Spare, that he and William had a physical altercation after his brother described Meghan as “rude,” “difficult” and “abrasive.”