Prince William stands up for his wife Kate Middleton after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle infuriate her publicly. It’s no secret that the Princess of Wales favors her birth-given name over fancier titles or abbreviations. Even before becoming William’s wife, the 42-year-old reportedly sent out email correspondence to her close circle asking them to call her the preferred monicker, Catherine, despite the media’s preference for the shorter form, “Kate.” Yet, Harry and Meghan have constantly disregarded those wishes despite knowing how much it infuriated Kate and William.
The two publicly disrespected Kate Middleton again during one of her most trying moments, deliberately using a name they knew she loathed. Several sources close to the Prince and Princess of Wales have addressed the couple’s reaction to this level of disregard amid Kate’s health woes. Prince William is said to be especially “furious” at his brother for addressing his wife as “Kate” rather than “Catherine” in the get-well-soon messages sent after the princess’ cancer diagnosis. One friend shared,
“William takes offence at people calling Catherine ‘Kate’ because she has asked to be known as Catherine. It’s a fairly simple wish to respect. I’m sure Meghan wouldn’t like it if William started publicly calling her ‘Meghan Markle.'”
The friend noted that despite its seemingly “trivial” nature, the name issue remained one of the things that ticked Prince William off. Hence, Harry and Meghan’s choice to use the name in their sympathy note to Kate Middleton came off as insensitive. The friend divulged,
“Those of us who know William know that it is one of the things that pushes his buttons. Pushing his buttons while he was going through his wife’s cancer seemed an entirely unnecessary and deliberate irritation.”
The source also joked that if their public statement was any indication, the private card the Sussexes sent to express their sympathies might have as well read, “Dear Kate...” Condemning Harry and Meghan’s choice to address Kate as such, another friend pointed out that it was “just bloody rude” to call someone a name they despised. Even worse, doing so while claiming to wish them well in their health struggles.
Related:
What Kate Middleton’s Wimbledon Appearance Says About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: ‘Never Forget’Per the source, calling the Princess “Catherine” in their goodwill message would have indicated their seriousness in making amends. Friends believe this name saga is the real reason Prince William and Kate Middleton failed to respond to Harry and Meghan’s public expression of sympathy.
Back in March, Kate Middleton opened up about her cancer diagnosis in a heartbreaking video. Several fans, friends, and well-wishers extended their goodwill messages, wishing her a swift recovery. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who learned about the news on TV, also joined the outpouring, showing their support in a joint statement. The two also reached out to William and Kate privately, putting their differences aside. It turns out their seeming show of sympathy might have been a coded message aimed at infuriating Kate, even in her ailing state— At least that’s what friends think. In that case, it sure had the desired effect.
