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Amid all the reports of fractured relationships, it might be difficult to imagine a time when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were friendly with Prince William and Kate Middleton, but one royal expert has claimed the group was once a rock-solid foursome.
While Meghan Markle and Prince Harry might not be on speaking terms with the couple now — thanks to a series of claims made during *that* Oprah interview and in Spare — it’s said that the former royals once enjoyed a pleasant relationship with the soon-to-be monarchs. Writing of their formerly friendly relationship, author Tom Quinn recalled a sweet moment between Markle and William in his new book Yes Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants.
The moment, which was witnessed by a Palace staffer, apparently saw the pair jokingly dancing together in the style of a ‘50s jive. That parody dance between Markle and William, according to Quinn, was representative of the foursome’s initial friendship. “It’s easy to forget that when Harry first started dating Meghan, both William and Kate found her delightful,” Quinn wrote, with a staffer adding that “they thought [Markle] was a breath of fresh air.” Of course, the image of William and Markle dancing together feels like a distant memory now, some five years after the Duke and Duchess stepped down from royal duties.
Since then, reports of soured relations between the brothers and their respective partners have swirled consistently, not helped by Harry’s mention of Kate and William in his memoir, and the bombshells delivered to Winfrey back in 2021. It has been reported that the tensions between the foursome — who, during their friendlier times, were dubbed The Fab Four — simmered over in 2018, when William expressed concern that Harry was moving too fast in his relationship with the Suits actress. For what it’s worth, the dancing moment recalled by Quinn isn’t the only happier memory we’ve heard around The Fab Four.
Last August, one royal insider claimed that Kate “hasn’t forgotten her friendship” with Harry, and at one point considered the Duke to be a “brother figure.” There have also been rumors that Markle’s friendship with Prince William at times veered towards flirtation, which was another reported source of the foursome’s rift. More broadly, it has been reported that Meghan also established a friendly rapport with her mother-in-law, the late Queen Elizabeth, who also thought of her as a “breath of fresh air.”
Last week, we learned that Harry was shocked by the rift that has ensued over the years, but thankfully he and Markle keep a friendship circle that extends beyond the royal family. The Duchess was recently spotted celebrating actress Kerry Washington’s birthday alongside fellow A-lister Jessica Alba, and has spoken in the past about her friendship with the likes of Tyler Perry, Ellen DeGeneres, and former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer. It’s Hollywood royalty, but it’s royalty nonetheless.
Middleton, meanwhile, has been working with her husband to decide on which school to send their son, Prince George, amid reports that their younger children, Charlotte and Louis, will take on bigger royal duties in Harry and Markle’s absence. Being a royal is certainly not a cakewalk, and the optimist in me likes to think that Markle and Prince William look back fondly on that sweet dancing moment all those years ago. If a video of that exists, I’m sure we could all broker a peace deal and bring back The Fab Four.