The Tensions Between Kate Middleton and Prince Harry
Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, was not pleased with Prince Harry following his controversial BBC interview in May 2025. According to a new book by royal author Christopher Andersen titled Kate! The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen, the princess was pushed to her limit after the shocking conversation.
Last year, the Duke of Sussex, 41, spoke with the British news organization about his father, King Charles, and his cancer battle. During the interview, Harry expressed uncertainty about how much longer his father had to live, adding that he wanted a “reconciliation” with his family. In an excerpt from Andersen’s biography published by Us Weekly, it was noted that the damage had been done: seeds of doubt concerning the King’s chances for a full recovery had been sown.
The interview left Kate feeling “more disappointed than angry,” according to Andersen. As for Harry’s estranged sibling, Prince William, he had already closed the door on his brother over what the Invictus Games founder wrote in his 2023 memoir Spare. In Spare, Harry detailed his struggles as the second son of Charles, 77, and described the physical fights he had with William, 43.
Andersen explained that “now it was time to nail the door shut once and for all, and for the first time Kate, who had worked harder than anyone to mend the rift between the brothers, willingly handed her husband a hammer.” The Duchess of Cambridge then “promised” her husband she was “done” with Harry following the interview.
An anonymous staffer at Sandringham Estate told Andersen for his book that Kate is the “sweetest, most loving person you could ever know.” But like everyone else, she has her limits. Andersen gave further insight into the Kate and Harry rift to Us Weekly, saying her own cancer battle helped her relate to Charles.
Both Kate and the monarch were diagnosed with forms of cancer in 2024, with the princess announcing she’s in remission in January 2025. Andersen explained, “I think Kate’s relationship with her father-in-law over their shared cancer battles really has made her much more sensitive to King Charles’ feelings. She knows better than anyone that having someone publicly imply you may be at death’s door is horribly demoralizing.”
While Kate has always been the “level-headed one” in the royal family’s feud, she’s often attempted to “bridge the widening gap between the brothers.” However, Harry and his sister-in-law won’t “have any sort of relationship” in the “foreseeable future,” he added.
