Harry and Meghan have reached out to Prince William and Kate following her shock cancer diagnosis.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were said to have contacted the Prince and Princess of Wales ‘privately’ last night.
It is not clear if the contact was a phone, a video call or some support messages. The possibility of whether Harry would fly back to the UK is not known.
It was also claimed in the US that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex only learned of Kate’s condition at the same time the world heard the news.
Sources told the New York Post that the couple had ‘no idea’ about Kate’s illness.
Harry and Meghan appeared at an arts event at California’s SoFi stadium on Thursday, ahead of the Princess of Wales’ cancer announcement
The contact between the two brothers was revealed by ITV Royal Editor Chris Ship.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, had previously described Kate as the ‘big sister I never had’ when she became engaged to William 11 years ago.
However, his relationship with the Prince and Princess of Wales has broken down in the bitter aftermath of Megxit.
Kate last met Harry after the Queen’s death in September 2022, when they joined their spouses for a walk in Windsor.
Last week, the rift between William and Harry was more than evident when the brothers dueled at a memorial event for their mother Princess Diana, with William leaving the ceremony before Harry joined via video link.
The Princess of Wales announced her diagnosis in a video message yesterday, explaining that the cancer was discovered after her abdominal surgery.
She said: ‘The operation was successful but tests after the operation showed there had been cancer.
‘As you can imagine, it has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from a major operation to be able to start my treatment.
“But most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I will be okay.”
The Princess of Wales with her three children in a photograph released on Mothering Sunday
Once dubbed the ‘Fab Four’, the two couples have not been seen in public together since the Queen’s funeral (pictured on 10 September 2022)
Harry and Meghan promoting the 2025 Invictus Games in Whistler last month
Prince William attends The Diana Legacy Awards at the Science Museum on March 14 – before rushing ahead of Prince Harry’s appearance via video link
Hours after the news, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a brief statement wishing the Princess of Wales and her family ‘health and recovery’.
The couple said they hoped Kate and her family would be ‘able to do it privately and in peace’.
It remains to be seen whether Harry will fly back to the UK to be with the Princess of Wales, with the royal family rift after the two were said to have grown close a decade ago.
Their bond seemed to grow after William and Kate’s marriage in 2011, but they were first linked during his army days.
While serving in the armed forces, he visited William and Kate in Anglesey, in their five-bedroom rented farmhouse on Sir George and Lady Meyrick’s estate.
There the trio enjoyed local pubs, high teas and hearty dinners after long walks on Anglesey beaches away from the public eye.
A ‘strong, sisterly bond was cemented with the sometimes lonely Harry,’ a source told the Daily Mail in 2016.
Last month, Harry returned to the UK after taking an emergency break from the US to see the King following his cancer diagnosis.
The Duke cleared his diary and made the trip alone, while Meghan and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, stayed at home in California.
But there was no reconciliation between Harry and his brother the Prince of Wales during the visit, after the Duke spent around 45 minutes at Clarence House to see Charles.
He last appeared with the Windsors and Welsh at the King’s coronation, but rushed home immediately afterwards to mark his son’s fourth birthday.
Kate began dating William in 2003, after meeting him at the University of St. Andrews. Soon after, she met Harry and the two became close (pictured, in 2012)
The pair share a laugh while taking part in Trooping the Color in 2014
The Princess of Wales with Prince Louis and George at Sandringham on Christmas Day last year
Since stepping down as working royals in 2020 and moving to California with their family, the Sussexes have aired accusations and complaints against the monarchy and members of Harry’s family.
The Duke’s accusations against his family seemed relentless in the wake of Megxit with his Oprah interview and, in the months after the Queen’s death, his Netflix documentary and memoir Spare.
There were accusations of racism over Archie’s skin color before he was born – with the remarks eventually said to have come from two senior royals – claiming Kensington Palace lied to protect William over reports he allegedly bullied Harry out of the royal family.
The Duke also accused William of physically attacking him and throwing him in a dog bowl in a row over Meghan, teasing him about his panic attacks and, along with Kate, encouraging him to wear a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party.
While Charles and Harry are said to still be on speaking terms, William has reportedly been out of touch with his brother for quite some time.
William and Harry have reportedly been out of touch for some time due to their royal fallout
US First Lady Jill Biden with Kate during a visit to Connor Downs Academy at the G7 summit in June 2021. Following the news of the Princess of Wales’ diagnosis, Biden said: “You are brave and we love you”
The Princess of Wales’ younger brother James took to Instagram to share a childhood photo with the princess on a hike and said they would ‘climb this mountain together’ after it was revealed Kate has been diagnosed with cancer
Well-wishers around the world have come together to send their support and best wishes following the news of Kate’s diagnosis.
The Princess of Wales’ brother James shared a touching message of support for his sister alongside a childhood photo of the princess on a hike with the caption: ‘Over the years we’ve climbed many mountains together.
“As a family, we want to climb this one with you too.”
US President Joe Biden was among the first world leaders to share his condolences, saying he and First Lady Jill Biden ‘join millions around the world in praying for your full recovery’.
The first lady sent her own message of support, writing simply: ‘You are brave and we love you.’
The disease is deeply personal for the Bidens. Their son, Beau Biden, died of brain cancer in 2015.