New Book Reveals William and Kate’s ‘Clear the Air’ Meeting With Harry and Meghan

Behind-closed-doors meeting foreshadowed Sussexes’ exit.

In 2018, the royal family had intended to portray a united bond—two princes, their wives, and a monarchy seemingly refreshed for a new era. However, the joy only lasted for a while. A summer meeting at the Waleses’ home, intended to address mounting tensions, would later be described as a moment that did indeed foreshadow a much larger rupture.

In the weeks after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding on 19 May 2018, the goodwill of the public was at its peak. In his forthcoming book, William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, author Russell Myers writes that by July 2018, Prince William and Kate Middleton had invited Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to their residence to confront issues head-on.

"The country was swept up in a wave of emotion and goodwill towards the couple on their wedding day on 19 May 2018. But relations inside the palace could not have been more different. By July 2018, William and Catherine had invited Harry and Meghan to their home to stage clear-the-air talks," Russell wrote. "The resulting exchange did not bode well for the future."

As per the book, the discussion was far from conciliatory. Russell claims the Duke and Duchess of Sussex "were unwilling to concede they were responsible for the departure of two of Meghan’s PAs, or for the general desperate atmosphere, in which members of staff reported they were sick with stress," and that Prince William "accused Meghan of being difficult and rude" and, according to Harry, "pointed directly at his wife." One source who spoke to Myers said, "The whole atmosphere was ugly."

It deepened the divide, the sources said. Concerns over staff departures and working conditions were, Russell suggests, already feeding distrust on both sides. In the months that followed, that strain became structural. Less than a year after the reported talks, the Sussexes formally separated their household operations from those of William and Middleton. "Harry and Meghan’s distrust of their senior team had begun just months after their wedding, amid mounting concern over their treatment of royal aides," Russell writes, with one palace source describing relations between the Sussexes and staff as "very, very bad."

"It had reached an intolerable situation for so many of them; there were a lot of issues surrounding people needing time off work, not wanting to come in or be on engagements on duty with Harry or Meghan," the source told Russell. "Everything possible was being done at all stages to help them, but nothing was ever good enough."

By March 2019, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Queen Elizabeth had approved the creation of a separate household for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, allowing them to base their office at Buckingham Palace. "This long-planned move will ensure that permanent support arrangements for the Duke and Duchess’s work are in place as they start their family and move to their official residence at Frogmore Cottage," the palace said at the time.