Prince William and Kate Middleton Aren’t in “Competition” With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Amid Their U.K. Return
Prince William and Kate Middleton Aren’t in “Competition” With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Amid Their U.K. Return
Rachel BurchfieldWed, October 14, 2026 at 1:32 PM UTC
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Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle on September 10, 2022.Credit: GettyThe Gist -
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a surprise move back to the U.K. in late August, and, as of October 15, are undertaking their first joint appearance together.
Prince William and Kate Middleton, for their part, “don’t see life as a competition” with Harry and Meghan.
“They want their roles to be very clearly separate from what Harry and Meghan are doing,” a source told Vanity Fair.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are back in the U.K. for an unknown period of time—and, as of October 15, are undertaking joint appearances together that feel reminiscent of their days as working royals. How do Prince William and Kate Middleton feel about it all? According to royal biographer Russell Myers, the Prince and Princess of Wales “don’t see life as a competition with the Sussexes.”
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate Middleton on July 10, 2018.Credit: Getty
“The Sussexes are here doing their thing,” Myers told Vanity Fair. “William and Catherine are doing what’s in front of them and focusing on what they care about.”
It has been made clear by King Charles that Harry and Meghan are not returning to the working royal roles they left in 2020, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex do seem to be building more of a public presence in Britain after arriving in the U.K. in late August. On Thursday, they will step out for a series of appearances in Nottingham, England—symbolically where they undertook their first joint appearance together after announcing their engagement in late 2017.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Nottingham, England on December 1, 2017.Credit: Getty Images
“Nottingham is a really special place for them, and they are looking forward to getting back out there, into the community, together,” a source told The Sunday Times. The outlet further reported that Meghan is planning to “resume collaborating with some of her charities and patronages from her time as a working royal.”
Meanwhile, William and Kate’s schedule is “packed,” sources close to the couple told Vanity Fair—with more joint appearances of their own planned. “William and Catherine have quietly supported each other away from their public life over the last couple of years due to Catherine’s health crisis and the king’s health woes, but what they have really missed is supporting each other in public,” Myers said. “Now we are seeing a return to that.”
Kate Middleton and Prince William on February 26, 2026.Credit: Getty
“It’s no coincidence that William and Catherine are doing more together,” a source told Vanity Fair. “They want their roles to be very clearly separate from what Harry and Meghan are doing, and the brief from them is to stay focused on their work and causes and not be distracted by anything else. They are making their presence felt, and at a time when it matters.”
A palace insider previously told the outlet that William and Kate were “derailed” by Harry and Meghan’s unexpected decision to move back to the U.K. after six years away in Montecito, California.
“William is still pretty furious about the whole thing and has had no contact with his brother,” an insider said. “He won’t have Harry’s name mentioned in his presence, and while this derailed him and Catherine momentarily, they are back on track and focused on the work they want to do. You will be seeing a lot more of them together.”
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Prince William and Kate Middleton at Royal Ascot on June 17, 2026.Credit: Getty Images
A source previously said that, with Harry’s return, “There’s a sense that William is going to have to be watching over his shoulder the whole time. He doesn’t know what his brother is going to spring on them all next.” The insider added that the future king “is very concerned about the Sussexes coming back and why they have made the decision so quickly.”
While there have “always been tensions between William and Harry,” royal biographer Andrew Morton told Vanity Fair, “those tensions are greater now than they have ever been. The brothers are at opposite ends of the spectrum. By coming back home, Harry has changed the narrative, and William is fuming.”
“I think there will be pressure on William to be the bigger person and forgive his brother, but I think that is still some way off,” Morton added.
Prince Harry and Prince William on May 18, 2018.Credit: Getty
Myers told People that William has no plans to have any relationship with Harry and Meghan in the future, “in a working or private capacity whatsoever,” he said. Yet, as royal historian Amanda Foreman added, the issue will be “incredibly draining” on the Prince and Princess of Wales.
“They will always have to look over their shoulders and factor them in,” she said. “And all they can do is deflect. Yet, they’ll get lots of jabs and questions: ‘When are you going to make up with your brother?’”
Prince William, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Kate Middleton on November 11, 2018.Credit: Getty
Though William and Kate don’t see a need to compete with Harry and Meghan, the tension between the two couples has “been magnified” since the Sussex family’s U.K. move, a palace insider told People.
“When they were in California, and you gazed through the looking glass, you couldn’t see it so well, but it is right back in front of them,” the source added.
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