The Princess of Wales considers the time spent with her sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, during the Queen’s funeral to be “one of the hardest things she’s ever had to do”.
Now, as Buckingham Palace announces that it is “pleased to confirm” that Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has RSVP’d yes to King Charles’ coronation but that his wife is a no-show, New Idea can reveal the moves made by the Prince of Wales to protect Kate’s wellbeing.
WATCH: Meghan Markle asked to choose between Prince Harry and Prince Willam
An exclusive insider says it was Prince William who ultimately made sure Meghan, 41, wasn’t coming within cooee of the historic Westminster Abbey event on May 6.
Insiders claim the King, 74, was “dithering” over what to do when it came to the Sussexes. They refused to reveal whether they were attending or not until late last week, despite the cut-off date for responses being long past.
And that’s where William, 40, stepped in.
“Both Harry and Meghan were originally invited, but it’s safe to say William put a cold spin on the invite. He was dictating to courtiers that Meghan shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near Kate after everything she’s put his wife through,” says our insider.
“No-one would be surprised if he pulled rank as the new Prince of Wales, and disinvited her. It’s likely he made a compromise with his father, who wants both his sons to witness his accession.”
Some royal sources concede that while Meghan remaining in Montecito with Prince Archie, 3, and Princess Lilibet, 1, is “probably for the best”, it’s a shame for the King.
He was keen to have all five of his grandchildren pose for an historic family photograph.
William’s decree comes after the now world-infamous ‘Windsor Walkabout’. He, Kate, Harry, 38, and Meghan attempted to put their differences aside and greet well-wishers after the Queen’s passing last September.
WATCH: Prince William and Kate Middleton attend a Basketball game in Boston
Eagle-eyed royal watchers noted that not a single word passed between the two women, with Kate, 41, keeping her distance from the American actress.
In his new book King Charles, Robert Jobson reveals Kate found the interaction – believed to have been organised by Wills in an attempt at rare family unity – particularly difficult.
Since then things have only become more tense between the pair, especially after the Sussexes took aim at the Waleses via their Netflix docuseries and in Harry’s memoir Spare.
WATCH: Prince Harry talks about his ‘todger’ in viral excerpt from Spare
Now, with just over two weeks to go until His Majesty’s big day, his heir to the throne has had enough of the couple’s games.
“William is not messing around this time. The situation is too toxic and he doesn’t trust Meghan. He’s not willing to risk upsetting Kate again,” says the source.
For more, pick up the latest issue of New Idea!
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