Kate Middleton Was Apparently Upset That Prince William Didn’t “Stick Up for Her More” After ‘Spare’

(Image credit: Getty)

published 2 April 2023

In his bombshell memoir, Spare, Prince Harry took a few sideswipes at once beloved sister-in-law Kate Middleton, and apparently the Princess of Wales is upset that her husband, Prince William—Harry’s older brother and the brunt of his criticism in his tell-all—didn’t stand up for her more.

OK reports that Spare “took a toll on Prince William and Kate Middleton’s relationship,” and “she’s grown increasingly upset that her husband hasn’t snapped back at his brother.”

“Kate felt William should stick up for her more,” a source said. “Yet William and the Palace thought that saying nothing was best.”

In the memoir, Harry alleged that Kate caused his wife, Meghan Markle, to cry during an argument prior to their wedding in 2018; he also claimed that both William and Kate found Harry’s Nazi costume scandal funny.

Royal author Tom Quinn said that it’s very common for the Prince and Princess of Wales to fight—but only behind closed doors. (For example, Marie Claire reported recently that the couple are currently locked in a disagreement over eldest son Prince George’s role in King Charles’ upcoming Coronation.)

“Someone at the Palace told me about the nicknames they have for each other,” Quinn said. “But it’s not all sweetness. They have terrible rows where they throw things at each other. Kate might seem to be a very calm person, and William also. But it’s not always true. Because the big stress for William and Kate is that they’re constantly surrounded by [Palace aides]. It’s like a Jane Austen novel.”

Quinn said that, despite the “shouting” matches, Kate is always able to smooth things over with William.

“Kate is very much the calm one,” he said. “William is the one who’s a bit hotheaded. Kate is very level-headed. She’s the one who will pour oil on troubled waters and go, ‘Let’s not stir things up.’”

An additional source said “Kate has a way of de-escalating things with her Zen-like presence. When William and Kate got married, they took their vows to heart. They are proud of their marriage, and they both want to see it last.”

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.