Prince William is reportedly “worried” about his younger brother Prince Harry and sister-in-law Meghan Markle after the couple opened up about struggling with tabloid rumors and fierce media scrutiny in a new documentary.
A palace source told the BBC on Monday that the Duke of Cambridge, 37, is said to be hoping the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “are all right” and felt the duo were “in a fragile place.”
Kensington Palace had no comment concerning the couple speaking out to British journalist Tom Bradby for ITV’s documentary “Harry & Meghan: An African Journey,” which aired on Sunday in the UK and is scheduled to air Wednesday in the US on ABC.
The special aims to give audiences a behind-the-science glimpse into the couple’s recent royal tour of southern Africa.
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Prince Harry (left) hinted at his alleged feud with his older brother Prince William.
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PRINCE HARRY APPEARS TO HINT AT RIFT BETWEEN HIM AND PRINCE WILLIAM
But it was in that same documentary where Harry, 35, hinted at the ongoing rumored rift between him and his older brother.
“Inevitably stuff happens,” explained the British royal. “But we’re brothers, we’ll always be brothers. We’re certainly on different paths at the moment. I’ll always be there for him and as I know, he’ll always be there for me. We don’t see each other as much as we used to because we’re so busy, but I love him dearly.”
“The majority of stuff is created out of nothing,” added Harry. “As brothers, we have good days and we have bad days.”
Numerous sources have long insisted there were deep tensions between the brothers after Harry revealed to his family he wanted to marry the former American actress after less than a year of dating. When William cautioned Harry that the whirlwind romance was moving too quickly, Harry reportedly became angry and hurt.
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Princes Harry (left) and William have not fallen apart over alleged rumors, says Princess Diana’s former royal butler.
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William dated Kate Middleton, his college sweetheart, for about eight years before tying the knot in 2011.
The royal couples split their offices and charitable endeavors after previously working together in June of this year. Markle, 38, and Harry’s office moved out of Kensington Palace and into Buckingham Palace, where Queen Elizabeth II resides. Middleton and William’s office remains in Kensington Palace, where they live with their three children.
Markle and Harry reside at Windsor Castle’s Frogmore Cottage with their son, Archie.
In the emotional documentary, Harry admitted the negative press attention has greatly impacted him and his wife, especially after Archie‘s birth in May of this year.
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex visit District 6 Museum on Sep. 23, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. The pair are reportedly considering a move to Africa after a bitter battle with public life in the U.K.
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“It’s management. It’s constant management,” said Harry about his mental health to the British journalist. “I thought I was out of the woods and then suddenly it all came back and I suddenly realized, ‘Actually this is something that I have to manage.’”
“Look, part of this job and part of any job, like everybody, means putting on a brave face and turning a cheek to a lot of the stuff,” he continued. “But again, for me and for my wife, of course, there’s a lot of stuff that hurts — especially when the majority of it is untrue. But we all need to do is focus on being real, focus on being the people we are and standing up for what we believe in. I will not be bullied into carrying a game that killed my mom.”
Markle also got candid about coping with the intense media scrutiny after becoming a member of the British royal family when she married Harry in May 2018.
“I really tried to adopt this British sensibility of a ‘stiff upper lip,’” explained Markle. “I really tried, but I think that what that does internally is probably really damaging.”
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry came under fire in summer 2019 for various perceived offenses in the press. Royal insiders griped about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s alleged hypocrisy for preaching about environmentalism while flying on private jets, as well as Duchess Meghan allegedly courting the press.
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“I never thought that this would be easy, but I thought it would be fair,” continued Markle. “And that’s the part that’s really hard to reconcile. If things were fair… If I’d done something wrong, I’d be the first one to go, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I would never do that.’ But when people are saying things that are just untrue and they are being told they’re untrue but they’re allowed to still say them — I don’t know anybody in the world who would feel like that’s OK.’”
Markle said before she tied the knot with Harry, 35, some of her friends warned her that becoming a member of the royal family would mean being under the constant glare of the public spotlight and losing your privacy.
“In all fairness, I had no idea, which probably sounds difficult to understand and hear,” said Markle. “But when I first met my now-husband, my friends were really happy because I was so happy, but my British friends said to me, ‘I’m sure he’s great but you shouldn’t do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life.’”
“And I, very naively — I’m American,” continued Markle. “We don’t have that there — [I said], ‘What are you talking about? That doesn’t make any sense. I’m not in any tabloids.’ I didn’t get it. So it’s been, yeah, it’s been complicated.”
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Kate Middleton and Prince William wave to well-wishers as they leave after attending the launch of the King’s Cup Regatta at Cutty Sark, Greenwich on May 7, 2019 in London, England.
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In a clip previously released by ITV on Friday, Markle got candid with Bradby about the negative attention she has received from the media during her pregnancy and first months with Archie.
“Any woman, especially when they’re pregnant, you’re really vulnerable, and so that was made really challenging,” said Markle. “And then when you have a newborn, you know. … and especially as a woman, it’s a lot.”
“So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed,” continued Markle while holding back tears. “It’s um… yeah. I guess, also thank you for asking because not many people have asked if I’m OK. But it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.”
When Bradby asked if it “would be fair” to say that she’s “not really OK, as in it’s really been a struggle,” Markle responded, “Yes.”
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Britain’s Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle hold their baby son Archie as they meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town on Sep. 25, 2019. The British royal couple are on a 10-day tour of southern Africa — their first official visit as a family since their son Archie was born in May.
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Still, Markle said Harry and their son have helped get through tough times.
“It’s OK,” she said. “The good thing is that I’ve got my baby and I’ve got my husband and they’re the best.”
