By Marisa Laudadio
9:15am PST, Feb 23, 2026
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In the early days of
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship, they teamed up with
Prince William and Kate Middleton to become what the U.K. media dubbed the "Fab Four," appearing united at events shortly before and after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex married in 2018. A new book explores what was going on behind the scenes during that time — from the Prince and Princess of Wales' perspective — as tensions grew, leading the Sussexes to leave Britain, and The Firm, in 2020.
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In the new book William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, author Russell Myers writes that Kate Middleton made a genuine effort to welcome Meghan Markle despite their differences. "Meghan and Catherine were two women from incredibly different worlds and very different backgrounds," explains Myers, who's also the royal editor for Britain's Daily Mirror. The Duchess of Sussex, who starred on Suits for seven seasons, "had crafted a successful career for herself, while Catherine had essentially had one job. Perhaps two if you count working for the [Middleton] family business," Myers adds. "They did not dress in the same way or act in the same way."
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But according to William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story author Russell Myers, Kate Middleton was determined to make her relationship with Meghan Markle work. Despite their differences as well as media reports alleging there was a growing rivalry between the women, the Princess of Wales was "willing to give Meghan a chance," Myers writes.
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Kate Middleton didn't just try to build a relationship with Meghan Markle — she also worked behind the scenes to keep
Prince William close to his brother,
Prince Harry, author Russell Myers claims in his new book. The Princess of Wales "adored Harry" and, at least initially, urged William to maintain their bond despite growing tensions.
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When it came to helping Meghan Markle adjust to royal life, Kate Middleton's efforts just didn't land, author Russell Myers alleges. According to his new book, both Kate and Prince Edward's wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, "had attempted to assist Meghan as she assimilated into royal life, but their 'repeated attempts' were not responded to," Myers writes.
