Sources have long insisted that Kate Middleton wanted to play the role of peacemaker between feuding Prince William and Prince Harry. But after her battle with cancer, the Princess of Wales seems to have different priorities.
Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” told Fox News Digital that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not on Kate’s radar these days. Instead, the 42-year-old is solely focused on preserving the future of the monarchy alongside William and her father-in-law, King Charles III.
“The idea that Kate somehow still has the time and energy to continue playing peacemaker is rubbish,” Andersen claimed. “She did try over a period of years and finally threw up her hands in disgust. She did her bit, but it wasn’t enough to build a bridge between William and Charles on the one side and Harry on the other.”
A spokesperson for Kensington Palace didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
According to a recent report, Kate Middleton is no longer playing the role of peacemaker as she prioritizes her health. It’s been said that Prince William and Prince Harry aren’t speaking. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams claimed to Fox News Digital that Kate “is totally at one” with William, 42, over the handling of the royal rift, and with good reason.
Kate Middleton is married to Prince William, heir to the British throne. They share three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. (Ian Vogler – Pool/Getty Images)
“Harry portrayed her as cold and unwelcoming to [his wife] Meghan Markle in [his memoir] ‘Spare,’ when he painted an extremely damaging picture of the royal family,” Fitzwilliams explained. “The memoir is soon to be released in paperback and his allegations will surface again, though fortunately, he will not be adding to the volume or promoting it. He knows perfectly well how damaging it has been.”
Kate Middleton announced to the world she had cancer in a pre-recorded message shared in March 2024. (The Prince and Princess of Wales Twitter)
Fitzwilliams noted that Kate will focus on slowly returning to royal duties on her terms while prioritizing her health.
“We have recently seen encouraging signs of Catherine’s recovery,” he explained. “Her focus, as she has said, is being ‘cancer free.’ The Wales family has had a tremendously difficult year. She has finished her course of preventative chemotherapy. William, while carrying out some royal engagements, has been tremendously supportive… [But] Catherine will wish to avoid anything that promotes negative energy.”
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On Sept. 9, Kate Middleton announced that she was “cancer-free” after completing chemotherapy treatments. (Will Warr)
Harry has had a strained relationship with his family since he and Meghan quit royal duties in 2020. At the time, the couple said the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British press were what prompted them to step back as senior royals.
The father of two has since detailed his rocky relationship with his family in TV interviews, a documentary and his memoir.
In his book, Harry alleged that during an argument in 2019, William called his wife “difficult” and “rude” and then grabbed him by the collar and knocked him down. Harry suffered cuts and bruises from landing on a dog bowl. Harry claimed Charles implored the brothers to make up. Following the funeral of Charles’ father, Prince Philip, in 2021, the king pleaded, “Please, boys, don’t make my final years a misery.”
Prince Harry made several scorching accusations in his memoir “Spare.” (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard claimed to Fox News Digital that Kate is known for having “a strong sense of negotiation.” However, she’s “not prioritizing reaching out to Prince Harry at this time.”
Middleton made her return to royal duties when she attended Wimbledon over the summer. (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)
“Making sure her family is well and happy is her priority,” Chard claimed. “She is also aware that she has to be kind to herself. Having completed her preventative chemotherapy treatment, she is relieved to be undertaking royal duties where possible but realizes that she is not totally out of the woods.”
“Prince Harry will want to contact Princess Catherine,” Chard claimed. “Prince Harry will be bothered by the silent treatment – and the royal family is aware of this.”
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Kate Middleton is seen here with Prince Harry in 2019. Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, made their royal exit in 2020. (Jeremy Selwyn-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Sources previously told People magazine that Harry’s calls and letters to his father go unanswered. His attempts to connect with William through texts, calls and messages are “similarly ignored.”
“Catherine has pursued peace over the last year,” Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di For Daily podcast, claimed to Fox News Digital. “[But] Harry and Meghan are not on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ radar right now. Catherine is focused on her health and family. Harry and Meghan’s relentless exploits are irrelevant to them at this point.”
“Even with Catherine currently in the clear … the reality is that cancer has taken a toll on King Charles,” Schofield claimed, referring to the monarch, 75, battling the disease.
King Charles III was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer this year. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
William is heir to the British throne.
“Prince William and Catherine will have to prepare for a complete shift from the privacy and intimacy of the life they’ve lived so far to William [eventually] ascending to the throne,” said Schofield. “They are planning for things like how to navigate raising teenagers under that type of spotlight. How much access the world will have. How to protect their children.”
WATCH: PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON ‘DEDICATED TO DUTY’ AS MONARCHY’S FUTURE: A REAL PARTNERSHIP
“The bigger picture no longer includes Harry, and they are focused on keeping Catherine cancer-free, the future of their family, and the future of the crown,” Schofield continued. “Harry likely misses Catherine because he is a perpetual victim, but you’ve made your bed, now lie in it. I hope the payday he received from ‘Spare’ was worth losing a sister-in-law who loved him like her own little brother. Was complaining about Catherine’s lack of enthusiasm over sharing lip gloss with his stranger wife or publishing private text messages sent from a future queen worth his exile?”
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“The idea that Kate somehow still has the time and energy to continue playing peacemaker is rubbish. She did try over a period of years and finally threw up her hands in disgust. She did her bit, but it wasn’t enough to build a bridge between William and Charles on the one side and Harry on the other.”
Meghan Markle, left, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as they mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force on July 10, 2018, in London. (Anwar Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)
“Harry has to accept the consequences of his actions,” Schofield added.
But not everyone agrees that Kate has attempted to be a peacemaker after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal exit.
“It’s an interesting scenario that Kate is a peacemaker between William and Harry,” royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital. “I’ve not heard of this and wonder if it is coming from a PR source promoting Kate.”
Prince William, Prince of Wales, attends on behalf of King Charles III the Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell on Sept. 12, 2024, in Sleaford, England. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“Kate going against William and his emotions are unheard of,” he claimed. “But as in all royal sagas, the truth is… stranger than fiction. I feel it is Meghan who needs to feel safe to return to a maelstrom environment. Harry will never betray her.”
Kate announced on Sept. 9 that she had completed treatment six months after revealing she had an undisclosed type of cancer. Her announcement came six weeks after Buckingham Palace announced that the king was being treated for cancer.
In a video announcing her progress, she said the path to full recovery would be long, and she would take it day by day. She said she would undertake some limited engagements through the end of the year.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reside in the wealthy coastal city of Montecito, Calif. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reside in California with their two young children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
