Prince William's "Alleged Bullying" Drove the Sussexes Out, Royal Expert Says
It's not the first time such accusations have come out.


Relations between the Cambridges and the Sussexes have been tense since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to step down from their royal duties in January 2020—despite certain reports to the contrary. Now, royal biographer Andrew Morton, author of Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, has made new claims that Prince William and Kate Middleton's attitude played a big part in pushing the Sussexes away.
Morton recently published six additional chapters to his 2018 book, excerpts of which have appeared in the Mirror. The author claimed that it wasn't so much the royal institution as a whole that led to the Sussexes' royal exit. "Far from abandoning Meghan, the Palace had a team which spent ‘hundreds of hours monitoring social media accounts' and ‘violent threats were reported to the police,'" Morton wrote.
Instead, it was Prince Harry's brother and sister-in-law who reportedly precipitated the falling-out. "The Duchess of Cambridge’s coolness towards Meghan, and William’s alleged bullying contributed to a devastating ‘Cain and Abel’ fallout between the brothers," Morton continued. "Harry was the ‘prime mover’ in souring relations between the Sussexes and the Royal Family, but it was Meghan who ‘took the hit.'"
The phrase "alleged bullying" supposedly refers to a January 2020 story published in The Times, which claimed that Prince William had acted in a "bullying" manner towards the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. A source told the paper that the couple had had enough of "constantly being told their place."
The two brothers strongly denied the allegations made by The Times' source at the time. They released a statement saying, "Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a UK newspaper today speculating about the relationship between the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge. For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful" (via The Guardian).
Whether or not any of these claims are true, it certainly looks like the Cambridges and Sussexes had a complicated relationship even before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018. Markle herself talked about finding herself in less-than-cordial situations involving Middleton as part of her interview with Oprah earlier this year, saying that her sister-in-law-to-be had made her cry in the run-up to her wedding.
Though some recent reports pointed to signs of a reconciliation between the two branches of the family, many royal experts are still skeptical. Still, the Fab Four could make peace in time for Christmas—or at least for the Queen's Jubilee next year.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Related Stories
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
-
Harry Was Allegedly Crushed When William Received "Special Treatment"
"Poor Harry's face across the table," Princess Diana's former butler recalled.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Prince Harry Wasn't Informed About King Charles's Hospitalization
"It looks like the duke only found out about his father's latest health update through the media."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Jennifer Lawrence Styles a $7,500 Outfit With $100 Sneakers
The actress paired Prada and Celine with her $100 footwear.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Prince Harry Was Allegedly Crushed When Prince William Received "Special Treatment" as a Child, Says Royal Butler
"Poor Harry's face across the table," Princess Diana's former butler recalled.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Prince Harry Wasn't Informed About King Charles's Hospitalization as Palace Didn't Want to "Cause Unnecessary Alarm"
"It looks like the duke only found out about his father's latest health update through the media."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle and Her Makeup Artist Confirmed All Her Royal Wedding Beauty Products
And yes, you can shop them all here.
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
Prince George Had a Six-Word Message for Prince William to Pass Along to a TV Star During a Recent Royal Engagement
The 11-year-old called the star of a popular U.K. series out.
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
Kate Middleton Has Been Embracing a Princess Diana-Inspired Wardrobe Change as She Prepares for Her Future Role as Queen
There's some very important symbolism behind the fashion choice, according to a royal style expert.
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
Why Prince Harry Is So "Torn Apart" Over Resigning From His Charity
The Duke of Sussex co-founded Sentebale in honor of his mother in 2006.
By Lia Beck Published
-
Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow Open Up About Their "Rift" Over Pie
Expect a Goop x As Ever collab in three… two..
By Lia Beck Published
-
Meghan Markle Confirms Skinny Jeans Are Back by Finally Revealing Her Favorite Frame Denim
It's never been easier to dress like a duchess.
By Amy Mackelden Published