Kate Middleton and Prince William will return to the U.S. next week to visit Boston for the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, but despite Meghan Markle and Prince Harry also being on the East Coast for an engagement in New York City, the Prince and Princess of Wales don’t intend for their paths to cross. A source close to the prince and princess told Entertainment Tonight that Kate and William have “no plans” to see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
This news comes over one month after Us Weekly reported that Kate was keen on the four reuniting in New York City during their December visits. Meghan and Harry will be in New York City for the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization’s Ripple of Hope Award Gala.
Kate and William, joined by Meghan and Harry on September 10, following the Queen’s passing.
“Once Kate and William’s Boston plans are set in stone, she’s [Kate] planning to extend an olive branch to Meghan in a bid to reunite the brothers and heal the rift,” the outlet’s source said in mid-October.
“Harry and Meghan are knee deep with their hectic schedules, but Meghan is willing to put in the effort as long as dates don’t clash,” the source added. Kate’s hope to mend the group’s strained relationship stems from what she believes the late Queen and Princess Diana “would’ve wanted” for them.
It’s unclear whether plans were actually set and privately changed or not. But the shift is interesting given Page Six reported last week that Meghan and Harry’s highly anticipated Netflix documentary series will be released on December 8. Neither Netflix nor the Sussexes have confirmed this, nor has Netflix explicitly spoken about the project.
If anything, the development signals that a public holiday reconciliation between the former Fab Four isn’t happening this season.
Things could improve, though. Meghan indicated as much in her interview with The Cut at the end of August when addressing her strained relationship with the royals. “I think forgiveness is really important,” she said. “It takes a lot more energy to not forgive. But it takes a lot of effort to forgive. I’ve really made an active effort, especially knowing that I can say anything.” She then went quiet before saying, “I have a lot to say until I don’t. Do you like that? Sometimes, as they say, the silent part is still part of the song.”
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.