Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle issued a statement expressing their best wishes to his sister-in-law Princess Kate Middleton Friday following her cancer diagnosis, facing a delicate a tightrope walk after the public criticisms Harry made of her in his memoir Spare.
In their statement, Harry and Meghan said they hoped Kate and her family were able to heal “privately.”
“We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace,” the couple said in a statement. The use of the informal version of her name, rather than a formal version or even her preferred usage Catherine, was notable.
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The statement came after Kate detailed her diagnosis, and its impact, in an emotional video statement on Friday.
After King Charles was diagnosed with cancer, Harry told how his first reaction was to “jump on a plane” to visit his father. He arrived at Buckingham Palace for a private meeting with the king less than 48 hours after the palace announced on Feb. 5 that the king had cancer and had begun treatment.
However, one friend of Kate and Prince William told The Daily Beast that an invite to visit would not be extended in this case. They added that they considered it unlikely Harry would have been given significant advance warning the announcement was going to be made. The palace said it would not comment on private family communications when asked by The Daily Beast.
Harry and Meghan detailed numerous clashes with Kate in their Netflix documentary, and The Daily Beast was told at the time of the publication of Spare that William and Kate were particularly hurt by being blamed for Harry’s decision to wear a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party.
In his book, Harry wrote: “With time running out I narrowed my options to two. A British pilot’s uniform. And a sand-colored Nazi uniform. With a swastika armband. And a flat cap. I phoned Willy and Kate, asked what they thought. Nazi uniform, they said. I rented it, plus a silly mustache, and went back to the house. I tried it all on. They both howled.”
Sources close to William and Kate have refuted the claims.
In another famous passage, Harry appeared to criticize Kate after she “grimaced” when Meghan asked if she could borrow some lip gloss.
Another argument was triggered by Meghan saying Kate had “baby brain.” Harry said Kate told Meghan not to talk about her “hormones” and William then “pointed a finger at Meg,” and told her she was “rude” to which Meghan responded: “If you don’t mind, keep your finger out of my face.”
Harry’s statement Friday followed one by Charles, speaking of his pride in his daughter-in-law. A spokesperson for the king said that Charles, who is also being treated for cancer, was “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did,” and said the king had “remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks.”
