Kate Middleton extends New Year’s olive branch to Meghan Markle
Persistent rumours of a rift made 2019 a rough one for the “fab four”, but a New Year’s message from Kate and William could reveal the divide is being bridged.
Entertainment
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After a 2019 awash with rumours of a widening royal rift, Prince William and Kate Middleton have shown that they may be trying to bridge that gap in 2020 after they included Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in their annual “year in review” video.
The royal couple shared the two-minute video, which includes photos and footage from William and Kate’s various engagements throughout the year, with their 10.6 million Instagram followers on New Year’s Eve.
Tellingly, however, it also features several photos of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle throughout the year, including baby Archie’s first public pics.
There’s also footage of Meghan and Kate having a laugh at Wimbledon, as well as the royal brothers with Sir David Attenborough at a screening of the documentary Our Planet in London.
And despite neither of the Cambridges being present at Archie’s public debut, it was included in the yearly roundup.
Alongside the video, the Cambridges wrote: “To all the fantastic organisations and inspirational people we met and worked with in 2019: Thank you for a wonderful year, and see you in 2020!
And royal fans were thrilled with the nod to Harry, Meghan and Archie, with some describing it as “beautiful”.
Another added: “I love this. I love the fact that you guys include images of Harry and his family. It’s beautiful.”
One commented: “This is lovely. So nice to see inclusion of @Sussexroyal in this too.”
The message comes after a difficult year for the formerly titled “fab four”, which led to persistent reports that there was a “deep rift” between the couples.
Tensions reportedly arose in the run-up to last year’s royal wedding, with Harry apparently accusing his elder brother of failing to support him and Meghan.
William was also said to harbour concerns over the couple’s whirlwind romance, while Kate and Meghan did not reportedly click.
Things got more tense when the Sussexes moved out of Kensington Palace to Windsor and split their joint household, moving their staff over to Buckingham Palace. The two couples have also parted ways over their charitable work, with Harry and Meghan set to launch their own royal foundation next year.
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In November, Harry and Meghan opened up about struggling with royal life in the documentary Meghan and Harry: An African Journey, during which Meghan’s struggles were patently obvious.
Harry, meanwhile, didn’t deny there were issues between him and his brother, acknowledging, “We are on different paths at the moment.”
After the documentary aired, it was reported that Prince William was “concerned” for his younger brother, and hoped he and Meghan were “all right”.
WILLIAM UNVEILS ENVIRONMENTAL PRIZE
Meanwhile, Prince William announced what was described as “the most prestigious environment prize in history” to encourage new solutions to tackling climate change.
The Earthshot Prize will be awarded to five people every year over the next decade, and aims to provide at least 50 answers to some of the greatest problems facing the planet by 2030.
They include promoting new ways of addressing climate change and issues surrounding energy, nature and biodiversity, the oceans, air pollution and fresh water.
The prize, inspired by US president John F. Kennedy’s ambitious “Moonshot” lunar program in the 1960s, promises “a significant financial award”, a statement said.
William, a grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and second in line to the throne after his father Prince Charles, said the earth was “at a tipping point” and faced a “stark choice”.
“Either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet or we remember our unique power as human beings and our continual ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve.
“Remember the awe-inspiring civilisations that we have built, the lifesaving technology we have created, the fact that we have put a man on the moon. People can achieve great things.
“The next 10 years present us with one of our greatest tests — a decade of action to repair the earth,” he said.
The award, which will be launched later next year and be bestowed from 2021, is open to individuals as well as to communities and businesses.
It has the backing of conservation campaigners, groups and scientists, including the veteran British natural history broadcaster David Attenborough.
“The spirit of the Moonshot can guide us today as we confront the serious challenges we face on Earth,” Attenborough said in a film to mark the launch.
“This year Prince William and a global alliance launch the most prestigious environment prize in history … designed to motivate and inspire a new generation of thinkers, leaders and dreamers to think differently.”
Both William’s father and his grandfather, Prince Philip, have campaigned for environmental causes and against the illegal trade in wildlife around the world.
The young royal is hoping to build on their work through the prize, which will initially be run by his and his wife’s own charitable foundation.
Originally published as Kate Middleton extends New Year’s olive branch to Meghan Markle
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