Everyone loves to see Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle together. The idea of the "Fab Four" and the new generation of the monarchy has been appealing to many royal fans. As recent appearances have shown, however, there is some distance between the two couples.
In part, this is because of their different roles within the royal family. Queen Elizabeth, who is 93 years old, is starting to hand off duties to 71-year-old Prince Charles. As that happens, William has increased responsibility as he prepares to become king one day. Likewise, Kate has added responsibilities as both future queen and mother to another future king. Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan have expressed desires to fulfill their royal duties in a way that still allows them some relative normalcy. In that respect, their paths will continue to diverge with time.
There are also rumors of personal conflict between the two couples. While aspects of those rumors have been debunked, there is also Prince Harry's acknowledgment of a shift in his relationship with his brother in Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. A royal source analyzed everything that's going on in a discussion with People.
Fans of the royal family love nothing more than to see everyone together. It's why so many people loved the idea of the "Fab Four." There are a lot of different reasons why we won't see so much of Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle together, however.
During Remembrance Day events, royal watchers noticed space, both literal and figurative, between the couple. "Everyone was doing their duties, doing what they needed to do on behalf of the family — and that was that," a source told People. "But there is a divide between the four of them. It’s hard for people to digest, because everyone wants them to be such a unit."
Insiders are acknowledging the rift between the couples. It reportedly began two years ago, when William expressed concerns that Harry was moving too fast upon his engagement to Meghan. The ripple effect of that continues to be felt to this day.
It's reported that neither couple will be spending Christmas at Sandringham. William and Kate will be in Buckleberry with the Middleton family. Harry and Meghan will be in the United States with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland.
Harry and Meghan are struggling with feelings of isolation since their vulnerable interview last month. At the same time, William and Kate are focused on their roles in the future of the monarchy. As Queen Elizabeth has Prince Charles assuming more of her duties, William will have to step up.
"William is the future King. There is going to be some competitiveness between him and Harry," the source notes. "That already puts a rock in the relationship."
Some of the divergences between William and Harry are just the normal results of growing up and settling into their adult lives. Once, they had only each other to lean on. Now they each have a family they're responsible for.
"After the death of their mother, Princess Diana, in 1997, the two brothers were thrown together by the tragedy of their childhood," royal historian Robert Lacey points out. "But it’s inevitable, as they grow up and develop different personalities, that synchronicity won’t apply anymore."
"As is often the case in any family, when one of your siblings gets married, there’s always a period of readjustment," said the source close to the family. Certainly, that adjustment has been made harder by the mischaracterization of Meghan in the press. She and Harry are currently taking legal action in those matters.
Harry and Meghan have decided to take a six-week break from royal duties that will last through the end of the year. The decision came after their vulnerable admissions in Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. While members of the royal family have reportedly been sympathetic to their situation, they're not all able to take the step away that Harry and Meghan's position allows.
"Just on a human level, if you take everything else out of the equation, I don’t think they’re in very good shape to deal with anything right now," a friend said. "Everyone is hoping that they will come back from this break stronger than ever, and maybe with some time out of the spotlight, they can figure out what path to take next." It's not an easy decision to make with the amount of attention on the two.
As far as royal duties are concerned, there's no telling what Harry and Meghan might decide. Harry's predicament is similar to that of the late Princess Margaret, the only sibling of Queen Elizabeth. Like Margaret, Harry loves and respects his role in the royal family while also valuing his privacy and wishing to live more modernly than protocol has typically allowed.
There have been constant rumors as to what Queen Elizabeth's future entails. Some speculate she might retire early and invoke the 1937 Regency Act to pass off her duties to Charles. When and how those decisions are made will greatly impact William and Kate.
Regardless of how this story continues to unfold, it seems that some degree of distance between the two couples can't be helped. "They’re going to have to try to figure out how to be civil, but they are on different paths now," the source said. "It’s just the reality of the situation."
