Prince Harry, Princess Kate’s Relationship Through the Years

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Prince Harry and Princess Kate’s Relationship Through the Years: Revisit Their Ups and Downs

Prince Harry’s relationship with Prince William isn’t the only dynamic that has changed over the years. The Duke of Sussex’s bond with his sister-in-law, Princess Kate, has gone through its own changes following his and Meghan Markle’s royal exit.

Harry met Kate after she started dating his older brother while they were attending the University of St Andrews. When news broke that William had proposed to Kate, Harry told the press that he was “absolutely delighted” about their engagement.

“I’ve always wanted a sister and now I’ve got one,” Harry gushed in December 2010. “I’ve known Kate for years, and it’s fantastic that she is becoming part of the family.”

After the Prince and Princess of Wales wed in 2011, Harry often stepped out with the couple for royal engagements. When Kate was pregnant with her and William’s oldest child, Prince George — born in July 2013 — the in-laws only got “closer,” per an insider.

“He told her not to be afraid to call, no matter the time of day,” the source told Us Weekly of Harry and Kate at the time.

When asked about his “mission” as an uncle to the future king, Harry told the BBC: “To make sure he has a good upbringing, and keep him out of harm’s way and to make sure he has fun. The rest I’ll leave to the parents.”

While William and Kate went on to welcome Princess Charlotte in May 2015 and Prince Louis in April 2018, Harry met now-wife Meghan during summer 2016. After they got engaged in fall 2017, the former military pilot confirmed his brother and sister-in-law had spent time with the Suits alum.

“I’d been seeing her for a period of time when I literally didn’t tell anybody at all. And then William was longing to meet her and so was Catherine, so you know, [them] being our neighbors we managed to get that in a couple of – well, quite a few times now, and Catherine has been absolutely amazing,” Harry said in the couple’s engagement interview as Meghan called Kate “wonderful.”

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The Duchess of Cambridge told reporters that same month that she and her husband were “absolutely thrilled” for Harry and Meghan, noting: “It’s such exciting news. It’s a really happy time for any couple and we wish them all the best and hope they enjoy this happy moment.”

Soon after, however, things got rocky as Meghan adjusted to royal life. In their December 2022 docuseries, Harry & Meghan, the Deal or No Deal alum and Harry reflected on how the U.K. media unfairly compared Meghan and Kate. The harsh press and allegations of racism were contributing factors in the twosome’s decision to step back from their roles as senior royals in January 2020 and relocate to America.

As Harry and Meghan began to discuss their ups and downs with The Firm — first via a tell-all interview on CBS in March 2021 and again in their six-episode Netflix show — sources told Us that both William and Kate weren’t thrilled with the airing of dirty laundry.

“I think that the idea that Kate’s being dragged into this will be upsetting for Kate who behind the scenes has tried really hard to be a peacemaker between William and Harry,” royal expert Kate Nicholl added during an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2021. “She has been deeply saddened by the brothers’ falling out. Don’t forget she was incredibly close to Harry herself.

Scroll through for more on Harry and Kate’s ups and downs:

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2008

As Kate and William’s relationship got more serious, Harry helped keep the future princess at ease as she watched her then-boyfriend in the Order of the Garter ceremony in Windsor.

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2011

Harry served as the best man at William and Kate’s April wedding, with the younger prince famously telling his brother that the bride looked “beautiful” as she made her way to the altar.

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2012

Harry and Kate were seen laughing together at several engagements, including at the Olympics and Thanksgiving service.

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2014

Kate and Harry were seen giggling at Trooping the Colour.

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2016

The trio launched their Heads Together charity.

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2017

Sources told Us that Meghan and Kate met for the first time in early 2017 after William was introduced to the California native in November 2016.

Meghan later recalled her first meeting with Kate. “Even when William and Kate came over and I met her for the first time, they came over for dinner, and I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot,” she said in the Netflix series. “I was a hugger. I’ve always been a hugger. I didn’t realize that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.”

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2017

The trio continued to do royal engagements together, making headlines in February after they competed against each other in a 50-meter race for charity in London.

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2017

After news of Harry and Meghan’s engagement broke in November, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge released a statement that read: “We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together.”

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2018

Meghan briefly joined Harry, William and Kate’s previously established Royal Foundation. The foursome made their only appearance for the charity at a panel discussion about mental health in February.

While the group appeared to be in good spirits at the time, Meghan later hinted at backlash within The Firm after she brought up the #MeToo Movement and Time’s Up at the event.

“I didn’t know that that would be taboo to talk about,” she said during volume one of Harry & Meghan.

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2018

Leading up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding, reports surfaced that the actress and Kate argued over Charlotte’s dress. While the initial story stated that Meghan made the Duchess of Cambridge cry, the Duchess of Sussex has since alleged that the opposite happened.

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2019

As speculation about Harry and William’s relationship made waves, the Duke of Sussex went on a rare outing with Kate. The pair were seen laughing at the Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey in April. That June, Harry and Meghan officially split their charity from William and Kate’s efforts.

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2020

After news of Harry and Meghan’s exit broke, an insider told Us that Kate “wishes she could speak to Harry. She misses him and fears she’ll never be close to him again.”

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2020

Harry and Kate saw each other with their spouses at the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey — which marked the Sussexes last official royal engagement — in March. It appeared that the two couples didn’t talk to each other, and Harry later confirmed during an episode of Harry & Meghan that the outing was “cold.”

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2022

Kate saw Harry again in September when he and Meghan attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. The two couples stepped out together to greet mourners who lined the streets of Windsor.

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2022

After the release of Harry & Meghan, a source told Us: “Kate feels hurt and betrayed that Harry would do this to her too, especially as the pair used to be so close.”