Yet an anonymous royal insider apparently told E! Online that there was “a lot of bemusement within the royal family about what exactly Harry and Meghan are trying to achieve… [As] members of the royal family do not usually speak in such detail about personal matters.” They went on, “It’s fair to say that there is a deep sense of unease in the royal households about the direction this is all headed.”
And Harry’s admissions in the documentary sparked waves of speculation online. At the beginning of November another source that was apparently close to the royals told Us Weekly, “There’s always been a part of Harry that felt like he was living in his brother’s shadow. He doesn’t envy the responsibility that comes with being the future king of England. But William’s the ‘golden boy,’ and Harry feels like he has a lot to live up to.”
Later in November People magazine quoted a source who reportedly said, “There is a lot of hurt, and a lot of unresolved issues between the boys and no one to help mediate… Petty grievances can become huge conflicts between all the different royal offices if they aren’t managed correctly – and that’s exactly what’s happening now.”
There were also rumors at this point that Prince Charles – Harry and William’s father – wasn’t helping matters. New Idea magazine reported, for instance, that “Charles speaks to Meghan most weeks to see how she’s doing, [but] he rarely picks up the phone to call Kate.” And this supposed preferential treatment was apparently “rubbing William up the wrong way.”
As Christmas drew closer, it transpired that Harry and Meghan would not be indulging in festivities with the rest of the royal family at Sandringham. Instead, they would be going to Los Angeles to see Meghan’s mom Doria Ragland, whom the actress is very close to. So was this all perfectly normal – or instead another sign of a royal feud?