Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are facing a growing rift with their friends, who are severing ties due to ongoing family drama.
As the feud between Prince Harry and Prince William drags on without resolution, the brothers are dealing with the fallout from their estrangement. Since Harry and William last saw each other at their father’s coronation in May 2023, longtime friends are feeling the pressure to choose sides, and Harry appears to be losing out. A royal expert claims that many of the brothers’ mutual friends are siding with William, resulting in “severed” connections for Harry.
On the Vanity Fair podcast “Dynasty: The Royal Family’s Most Challenging Year,” royal correspondent Katie Nicholl discussed the issue, noting that lines were clearly drawn when Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, had to choose between the brothers for his June wedding. Both Harry and William were initially invited, but Harry and his childhood friend reportedly agreed that it would be best for Harry and Meghan Markle to decline to avoid any potential tension.
Nicholl explained, “If you look back to that recent society wedding of the Duke of Westminster, it was William who got the invite. Harry was also invited because they’ve been friends forever, but he was essentially asked to step aside to avoid any awkwardness of having the two brothers at the same event.”
This incident isn’t unique. According to Nicholl, “I remember being told by someone at the Palace that there was a sense you had to align with one camp or the other.”
Harry and Meghan’s social circle has dwindled as a result. “I think the ties have been severed. Friends, whether close, society, or celebrity, have had to make a choice,” Nicholl added.
While Meghan has been forging new connections in Montecito, including attending the star-studded G9 Summer Summit in the Hamptons, Prince Harry reportedly feels nostalgic for his old life and friends in the U.K.
Tom Quinn, royal expert and author of “Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family,” told The Mirror, “He misses his old Etonian and army friends, many of whom have not visited as they don’t get along with Meghan.”
