Meghan Markle’s 'Flirty' Exchanges With William Allegedly Strained His Relationship with Harry
During her time in the royal fold, Meghan Markle's friendly behavior toward everyone, particularly Prince William, allegedly caused tension between Prince Harry and his brother. William, Kate Middleton, Harry, and Markle, once dubbed the 'Fab Four,' soon grew distant as the latter's over-friendly American ways left King Charles and William feeling uneasy.
Royal expert Tom Quinn claimed William reportedly was especially uncomfortable with Markle's informal practice of hugging him whenever they met. As per reports, rumors ran wild among staff that her friendliness could be mistaken for flirting. Markle, who had a very different upbringing, allegedly found the royal family's more reserved attitude strange and difficult to adjust to, even at times being offended by their cold behavior. When she directly asked why William and Charles always seemed so serious, the rift worsened. As per Marca, Markle, in poor taste, once also remarked that Harry had a much more 'chill' demeanor as opposed to 'pompous' William.
This was the beginning of Harry and William's now-strained relationship. Markle's loving attitude, however, wasn't the only thing making William uncomfortable. His change in attitude was rooted in a deeper reason, according to royal historian Robert Lacey. In Battle of Brothers: William and Harry–The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult, published in 2020, Lacey described how William grew bitter about Markle for having more of a hold on Harry. Lacey wrote, "He felt Meghan was 'stealing his beloved brother away from him.'" He also felt that Markle lacked an understanding of the royal institution.
Lacey also cited a Kensington Palace courtier in his book. He said, "Meghan portrayed herself as the victim, but she was the bully. People felt run over by her. They thought she was a complete narcissist and sociopath — unhinged." A former royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, also once said, "There have been times in this past year when William has looked incredibly alone, shouldering the responsibility of being a son whose father has cancer, a husband caring for his wife as she also deals with cancer, a father of three young children...and who has no brother or mother to turn to for a bit of TLC."
It’s clear that William’s skepticism toward Markle formed early on, and their relationship has only deteriorated over time. In Endgame, royal expert Omid Scobie offers further insight into why William and his sister-in-law never forged a close bond. He wrote, “William had been wanting to distance himself from his brother ever since Harry’s marriage to Meghan, whom the then Duke of Cambridge took a disliking to from the start.” He explained, “William increasingly complained about Meghan to aides and family members. He didn’t like how opinionated she was, how she spoke to his staff, how much of her Markle family dramas were in the press.”