How Kate Middleton Delivered the Ultimate Royal ROAST Slapdown to Meghan Markle’s Racism Claims: “Throwing out baseless racism claims like confetti for attention..”

Then, in February this year, he and his ex-wife were photographed leading royal mourners as they walked to the memorial service for King Constantine of Greece. What did it all mean? And why had Fergie – long banished from other such occasions – suddenly been welcomed so publicly back into the royal fold?

Remarkably, a senior figure in the royal household suggests that by extending a hand to the Yorks, King Charles was trying to send his elder son William a very pointed message. Not about Andrew – but about Prince Harry.

‘Perhaps the King is subliminally trying to show William that forgiving one’s brother and giving him a second chance is a strength, not a weakness,’ said the source. ‘Prince William disagrees – and as for his own brother, as far as he is concerned there is no way back.’

In other words, the feud between Harry and William looks set to continue, possibly for the rest of their lives…

It is worth recalling just how close the warring princes once were, and how wholeheartedly and warmly Harry had welcomed Catherine Middleton – whom he regarded as ‘the sister I’ve never had and always wanted’ – into the Royal Family.

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle

On her wedding day, Harry – serving as his brother’s best man – said in his speech at the private reception that their mother would have been ‘proud’ to witness the marriage of her son to the ‘beautiful’ Catherine.

It was only on the advice of his then girlfriend Chelsy Davy that he dropped a reference to the bride’s ‘killer legs’ – though he later disputed this account in his memoir, Spare.

As for William, he called him the ‘perfect brother’.

And for the next few years, Harry remained one of the most important people in William’s life. He was at the christening for Prince George, while the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex and Princess Anne were left off the restricted guest list.

He was one of the first to receive a snap of the new-born Princess Charlotte before Catherine had even left hospital.

Meghan Markle

In 2016, Harry and the Cambridges launched the ambitious Heads Together campaign through their Royal Foundation. Catherine had suggested the idea to her husband as a campaign to draw attention to mental health.

They dovetailed well: William focused on the reluctance of young men to discuss their mental wellbeing, Harry on how it affected the lives of service personnel and veterans, and Catherine on improving the lives of young children.

At the Royal Foundation Forum in February 2018, there were clear tensions among the Fab Four as they sat before a backdrop with the message ‘Making a Difference Together’. William spoke first. Afterwards, the host asked if they ever had family disagreements. ‘Oh, yes,’ William said.

‘[They are] healthy disagreements,’ Harry added quickly. When asked for more detail, he added: ‘I can’t remember, they come so thick and fast.’

When Meghan’s turn came to speak, she name-checked the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements and talked of empowering women to use their voices. Harry, clearly smitten, seemed in awe of her public-speaking skills. William and Catherine, however, shuffled in their seats and looked decidedly uncomfortable.

Cracks between the two couples continued to widen – with the help of petty slights, whether imagined or otherwise.

There was the time Meghan asked to borrow some lip gloss, and Harry felt Catherine had handed hers over reluctantly. According to him, Catherine ‘grimaced’ after Meghan had squeezed some onto a finger and applied it to her lips.