Kate Middleton seemed less perturbed than her husband William when Prince Harry announced his intention to step back from his royal duties. According to Russell Myers, a Royal Editor of the Daily Mirror and an author who recently penned “William and Catherine: The Monarchy’s New Era,” the Duke and Duchess handled their brother’s exit with differing levels of concern.
In the book, Myers describes how William and Catherine navigated the complexities surrounding Harry’s departure from the royal fold. He wrote, “She believed that fundamental differences between the ‘heir’ and the ‘spare’ had always precluded any possibility of changing Harry’s role.”
William was deeply affected by his brother’s decision to leave the palace, as noted in Myers’ account: “William was intensely saddened by this turn of events. The author goes on to explain that while he and Harry shared early years filled with moments of mutual support during their mother Princess Diana’s untimely death, these early bonds were now overshadowed by a familial rift at its core.”
In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved out of Buckingham Palace and relocated to California. They have been living there ever since, raising their two children—Prince Archie, who is six years old, and Princess Lilibet, aged four.
This decision marked a significant departure for William and Catherine as they sought a more private life after the couple’s controversial split from the royal family in 2018. Their move to California represented both a personal step away from their public duties and a new chapter in their marriage and family lives.