Princess Kate demanded Royal Family 'lay down a marker' after Meghan and Harry's public attack
Kate is said to have been a fan of the 'recollections may vary' jab
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Princess Kate spearheaded the case for challenging the Sussexes on the details discussed in their Oprah Winfrey interview, an author and royal correspondent claims.
Valentine Low, author of Courtiers, believes that while the Princess of Wales has played peacemaker between Prince William and his estranged brother, Kate wanted to pull no punches in disputing Harry and Meghan's tales told on Oprah.
The brothers’ relationship has broken down since Prince Harry stepped back from his duties in the Royal Family.
On Kate, Low said: "She was often the peacemaker, or tried to be the peacemaker, with Harry.
The couples reunite over the years to pay respects
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“You saw that after Philip's funeral, when she kind of brought the brothers together."
Once the service of Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021 had finished, it was notably Kate who engaged Harry in conversation.
The pair were joined by William on the walk back to Windsor Castle, before Kate dropped back to leave them to talk.
Speaking on the Scandal Mongers Podcast, Low went into detail on the origins of the now-infamous phrase ‘recollections may vary’ used in response to the Oprah interview.
The family reunited at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
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Low said: “A lot of authors have been claimed for that phrase, obviously it wasn't the Queen's own phrase [...] It turns out that was William's private secretary, Jean-Christophe Gray, he came up with it.
“He only started in the job three weeks earlier, he was incredibly new to it when this whole Oprah Winfrey crisis came along."
Others have attributed the phrase to the Queen’s then-press secretary Donal McCabe or Charles’ private secretary Clive Alderton.
However, when the Royal Family was said to have wavered over including the phrase, it was apparently Kate who pushed hardest for the phrase to be included.
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Kate and Meghan Markle at WimbledonPALow said: “The person who was adamant that it should stay in was Kate [...] because she made the argument that 'we've got to lay down a marker to say that we challenge some of this narrative because otherwise it's going to be accepted as true and we've got the future reputation of the Royal Family to think about.
"It shows a side of Kate that's not always appreciated - that she's far steelier... she's thinking about the longer term.”
Princess Kate and Prince William have key differences compared to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry now that the Sussexes are no longer working members of the Royal Family, according to a royal commentator.
Royal commentator Tessa Dunlop has outlined the costly impact leaving the Royal Family has had on Meghan and Harry's brand.
William and Kate were married on April 29 2011Kensington PalaceDunlop said: "No matter how great your celebrity in America there will always be someone richer and more famous.
"Over there, fame is commonplace, not so the magic and mystery that comes with monarchy.
"As the Sussexes are discovering to their cost, royalty does not travel well."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from the monarchy in 2020 and have since moved to California.
Dunlop told the Mirror: "To really flourish, more than titles and money are required.
"Harry, barefoot in a beanie, can't compete with William in full-blown honorary military uniform.
"Meghan in Valentino or Givenchy is less noteworthy than the Princess of Wales in her Lover's Knot tiara and badge of the Royal Victorian Order."