Harry and Meghan have reached out to Prince William and Kate after her shock cancer diagnosis.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were understood to have made contact with the Prince and Princess of Wales ‘privately’ last night.
It is not clear if the contact was a phone, video call or some messages of support. The possibility of whether Harry would fly back to the UK is not known.
It was also claimed in the United States last night that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex only learnt about 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 made an appearance at an art event in California’s SoFi stadium last night, before the Princess of Wales’ cancer announcement
The contact between the two brothers was disclosed 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 fractured following the bitter aftermath of Megxit.
Kate last met Harry after the Queen’s death in September 2022, when they joined their spouses on a walkabout in Windsor.
Last week, the rift between William and Harry was more than evident as the brothers made dueling appearances at a memorial event for their mother Princess Diana, with William leaving the ceremony before Harry joined via videolink.
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 surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found that cancer had been present.
‘As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order 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 Mother’s Sunday
Once dubbed the ‘Fab Four’, the two couples have not been seen together publicly since the Queen’s funeral (Pictured on September 10th 2022)
Harry and Meghan promoting the 2025 Invictus Games in Whistler last month
Prince William attends the The Diana Legacy Awards at the Science Museum on March 14 – before making a hasty exit before Prince Harry appeared via videolink
Hours after the news, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a short statement wishing the Princess of Wales and her family ‘health and healing’.
The couple said they hoped Kate and her family would be ‘able to do so 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 rift between the royal family coming after the two were said to grow close a decade ago.
Their bond appeared to grow after William and Kate’s marriage in 2011, however they first connected 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 suppers after long walks on Anglesey beaches away from the public eye.
A ‘strong, sisterly bond was cemented with the at-times lonely Harry’, a source told the Daily Mail in 2016.
Last month, Harry returned to the UK after making an emergency dash from the US to see the King following his cancer diagnosis.
The Duke cleared his diary and made the journey alone, with Meghan and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet remaining 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 seeing Charles.
He last appeared alongside the Windsors and the Waleses at the King’s coronation, but hurried home immediately afterwards to mark his son’s fourth birthday.
Kate started dating William in 2003, after meeting him at the University of St Andrews. Soon after, she met Harry and the two grew close (pictured, in 2012)
The pair laugh together while attending Trooping the Colour 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 allegations and grievances against the monarchy and members of Harry’s family.
The duke’s allegations against his family appeared unrelenting in the aftermath of Megxit with his Oprah interview, and, in the months following the Queen’s death, his Netflix documentary and memoir Spare.
There were accusations of racism in relation to Archie’s skin tone before he was born – with the remarks in the end alleged to have come from two senior royals – and claims 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 into 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 at a fancy dress party.
While Charles and Harry were said to still speak, William has reportedly not been in contact with his brother for an extended period of time.
William and Harry have reportedly not been in contact with each other for some time amid 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 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 hiking trip, saying that they would ‘climb this mountain together’ after it was revealed Kate has been diagnosed with cancer
Well-wishers around the world have united to send their support and best wishes following news of Kate’s diagnosis.
The Princess of Wales’ brother James shared a touching message of support to his sister, along with a childhood photo of the princess on a hiking trip captioned: ‘Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together.
‘As a family, we will 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.