It was no secret that relations between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had become increasingly strained in 2020.
Following revelations that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were taking a step back from the Royal Family earlier this year, insiders said the brothers stopped speaking for months.
But after the Duchess, 39, bravely opened up in a letter in the New York Times about suffering a devastating miscarriage in July – detailing her and Harry’s grief – insiders say Kate and William reached out and add that it could help to bring the four closer again.
Royal expert and author of Kate: The Future Queen, Katie Nicholl, tells OK! “I’m told that William and Kate were in touch with Harry and Meghan when this happened in July. The whole family has reached out to offer support.
“I don’t know if the royal family were aware she was set to go public with this but they would think it was a hugely brave thing to do. I do think a situation like this is what will help heal rifts and bring the family back together. Hard times like this encourage communication.”
In her letter, the Duchess described how she felt a cramp in her stomach. “I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.
“Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal. Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few,” she added.
This year has proved to be a sobering one for the royals, after Prince Charles, 71, fell ill with Covid-19 in March and was forced to self-isolate for seven days.
Author of Harry and Meghan’s recent biography Finding Freedom – which detailed the tensions between the brothers – Omid Scobie tells OK! “I know that Harry and William had many private conversations when their father was ill with Covid. Similarly with Meghan’s miscarriage, it’s understandable that this tragedy would cause the foursome to stay in touch and check in on one another.”
The Duchess is not the first royal to speak out about miscarriage. Harry’s cousin Zara Tindall suffered two baby losses before welcoming her second child with husband Mike Tindall in 2018. And Prince Edward’s wife Sophie Wessex endured a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy in 2001.
Katie Nicholl tells OK! that while the royal family’s traditional mantra has long been “never complain, never explain”, Meghan is a shining example of the younger generation’s comfort in expressing vulnerability.
“The younger royals have really changed public perception. We’ve seen William and Harry discuss mental health and Kate open up about the challenges of motherhood.
“The younger royals realise the importance of raising awareness for issues that can impact anyone. Meghan has always been an advocate for issues close to her heart.
“She will have been aware of the impact her letter will have and will have hoped it can help other women struggling.”
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe adds, “Royal tradition has been changed by William and Harry. They speak openly and Meghan should be applauded for speaking out, too. Using her platform to discuss things like baby loss, which are so often surrounded by a stigma of silence, is brave.”
And Katie adds that the Duchess’s determination to help others is reminiscent of Harry’s late mother Diana.
“Meghan is very much like Diana in the way she isn’t afraid to show her human side and to speak out about issues that are important to her.”
Midwife Sophie King of baby loss charity Tommy’s, said: “Baby loss at any stage in pregnancy is one of the most heartbreaking things. Mothers like Meghan sharing their stories is a vital step in breaking down stigma and shame.
Her openness sends a powerful message to anyone who loses a baby: this may feel incredibly lonely, but you are not alone.”