Meghan Markle and Prince Harry know as much about Kate Middleton’s health status as the general public does. Given their strained relationship with Kate and Prince William, they are not being told anything on purpose, People reports.
“They are aware of everything that goes on back in England but are being left out of any details regarding Kate,” a family source told the outlet. “There is clearly no trust.”
Harry did not see William and Kate during his brief U.K. trip in February to visit his father, King Charles, after Charles revealed his cancer diagnosis.
Harry and Meghan’s rep spoke out earlier this month to distance them from a Page Six report on the discussion around Kate’s altered Mother’s Day photo. The image was originally shared by Kensington Palace but later pulled from photo agencies due to manipulation. The Palace later released a statement where Kate admitted to having edited the photo.
A Page Six insider supposedly “close to” Meghan and Harry tried to compare them to Kate and William. They claimed, “If Harry and Meghan had ever encountered the same issue they would have been annihilated. The same rules do not apply to both couples. This isn’t a mistake that Meghan would ever make … she has a keen eye and freakish attention to detail.”
Meghan and Harry’s spokesperson shut down that quote, telling Newsweek, “With respect to Page Six, that did not come from us.”
Meghan and Harry have had a strained relationship with Kate and William for years, especially following the release of their Netflix docuseries and Harry’s memoir, Spare.
In November, Endgame author Omid Scobie explained to ELLE.com why Meghan and Harry aren’t likely to reconcile with Kate or William imminently.
“Everything that I’d looked into and reported on for the book about Harry and William all pointed to this reconciliation being highly unlikely and certainly not on the horizon,” Scobie said. “Even if that was to happen, I don’t think it changes Meghan’s position.”
He added that Meghan and Harry “said it loud and clear that they were looking for conversations and accountability and for people to own their roles and everything that had happened, and no one has so there is no reason for anything to change moving forward. One could argue the balls are all in the royal family’s court, and we know that they’re not hitting them back anytime soon.”
As for what is known about Kate, it is largely limited to the statement the Palace released the day after her planned abdominal surgery in January. They shared that Kate would return to events after Easter, which is March 31 this year.
“[The surgery] was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” the Palace wrote on Instagram. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private. Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.
“The Princess of Wales wishes to apologize to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”
Kate has not been photographed clearly since the holiday. A long-distance video of her out in Windsor this past weekend has drawn some skepticism from the public, as fans question whether it’s really her in the footage.