After surviving cancer, the Princess of Wales knows life’s ‘far too short to get hung up’ on Prince Harry‘s potshots and she and William would ‘rather focus on raising their own family’, it was claimed today.
A new intimate profile of Kate reveals that she is in good health at the start of 2026 and there is still zero contact at all with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
With no plans for that to change, there was also said to be a ‘weary inevitability’ at the Palace when Harry announced a pseudo-royal visit to Canada just as his older brother landed in Brazil for a key visit late last year.
Friends and insiders have today given a picture of what Kate is really like in private, including her jokes about how ‘feral’ her three children can be – and her habit of losing her phone.
Giovanna Fletcher, the celebrity podcaster and author who has known her for five years, believes that she will be a brilliant queen, who with William will bring about ‘welcome change’.
Ms Fletcher, the wife of musician Tom Fletcher, said that the Princess of Wales is unfairly characterised as the ‘aloof’ and glamorous unofficial ‘head girl of the royal family‘.
‘She’s full of heart. I think she’ll be a queen who really listens, who leans in, who’s very aware of what’s going on’, she said.
‘I don’t feel like it’s ‘us v them’. I think [the Prince and Princess of Wales] are going into it with their eyes completely open. We have to work together as a society to make that change happen [and] I think they get it. They understand things. And so, for that reason, I think it will be a welcome change’.
The Princess of Wales is much more interested in raising her own family than what Prince Harry and his wife are up to, it has been claimed
Despite overtures from Harry about reconciliation, there has still been no contact at all between the Sussexes (pictured in their Christmas card) and the Prince and Princess of Wales
The Princess of Wales and Giovanna Fletcher, who share a bond over parenting and children’s health. Giovanna has spoken about what kind of queen she will be and how funny
Kate is in remission and there are claims that she and William will jet to the US to mark on July 4, 2026 to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.
The rumoured foreign trip is a sign that her health continues to improve but also she enjoys a very good relationship with Melania Trump, whose husband President Trump is a vocal fan of her and her husband publicly and privately.
But although the spectre of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle looms large – especially with Harry wishing to spend more time in the UK and a public plea for reconciliation – Kate is not overly bothered, it has been claimed.
There is no contact between the Wales’ and the Sussexes at all – and the future king and queen appear happy to have it that way, especially after the turmoil and grief of Kate’s cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy.
In her long read on the Princess of Wales, published today, The Times’ senior royal writer Kate Mansey said: ‘Prince Harry is not in contact with William. After repeatedly taking aim at his brother and sister-in-law, it’s hardly surprising that William and Kate would rather focus on raising their own family’.
She added: ‘If Kate has learnt anything from her cancer ordeal… she’ll know that life’s far too short to get hung up on Harry’.
Last month it emerged that the Duke of Sussex’s security in the UK, including taxpayer-funded armed police bodyguards, will be considered by committee in January – a key barrier to him returning more regularly with his children.
But any visits with Archie and Lilibet are highly unlikely to involve Meghan coming too – or any plans to see William, Kate and their three children.
It came after Prince Harry denied deliberately trying to overshadow his older brother’s trip to Brazil with his own pseudo-royal visit to Canada.
The Duke of Sussex released a defiant statement on November 5 claiming that the royal household was informed in advance, ‘as a courtesy’, that he was going to Toronto when his brother was in Rio.
But multiple sources in the UK insisted his announcement caught royal aides completely by surprise.
The Princess of Wales and the President clink glasses following a toast to their two nations at September’s state visit
There are claims that she and William will jet to the US to mark on July 4, 2026 to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. A bond and friendship with First Lady Melania Trump has formed
The row began when Harry revealed he was going to Toronto to mark ‘remembrancetide’ in an announcement released just as his older brother set foot on Sugarloaf Mountain.
The Prince of Wales had just landed in Brazil for a five-day visit to promote his Earthshot Prize when his younger brother revealed a trip of his own.
Kate Mansey said today: ‘There was a sense of weary inevitability in William’s camp when Harry decided to announce a trip to Canada for ‘remembrancetide’ at the start of his brother’s official visit to Brazil’.
Ms Mansey has spoken to Giovanna Fletcher about what the Princess of Wales is like, having recorded an episode of her ‘Happy Mum, Happy Baby’ podcast with the royal.
She said that Kate is passionate about helping children in early life and considers it her life’s work to improve life-chances and outcomes.
But off air they spoke with a laugh about ‘feral’ children and how Kate frequently loses her belongings.
‘She told me that she was notoriously bad at keeping an eye on her phone. She always loses her phone. All of her Christmas presents that year were related to her keeping track of her phone… It was all about her not losing her phone’, Giovanna said.
She said that Kate is passionate about helping children in early life and considers it her life’s work to improve life-chances and outcomes.
Kate is shy and was nervous to speak on the podcast, she explained.
‘What I think surprised me was how nervous we both were at the top of the chat,’ Fletcher said.
‘I think there’s no denying, when you talk to Catherine, you know what she means to the country, what influence she will have on life going forward — and can have with her early years campaigning. So I think I was nervous because of that. She was nervous because she knew that she was about to speak in a way that she’d never spoken before’.
The Princess of Wales launches a series of animated films through The Royal Foundation’s Centre for Early Childhood in August, which remains her passion
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But her husband popped up to reassure her.
Giovanna said: ‘Thankfully, Prince William came into the room and he said, “Just talk”,’ – and Kate spoke for 90 minutes instead of 45.
It is clear how much support she gets from William.
A source told The Times: ‘While it may seem a completely ridiculous comparison, it reminds me a bit of dear old David and Victoria Beckham.
‘I think the public can spot a genuine relationship and a genuinely strong marriage and two people who fit well together. How strong they are individually, but also as a couple. And I think that’s probably a great asset’.
One thing the couple have also had to deal with is the former Duke of York.
Andrew, 64, has lost all of his titles and is being kicked out of his Royal Lodge home.
Multiple sources have said that William took a very hard line on Andrew, harder than his father the King.
But The Times claims differently – and that Kate backed William when he needed it.
Kate Mansey writes: ‘William was often painted as the tough guy urging his father to put his foot down. This image of ruthless William was, I’m told, wide of the mark.
‘If anything, William was deeply concerned for his uncle’s mental health and how Andrew would cope after everything was taken away. Nevertheless, William realised that while Andrew had always denied any wrongdoing, he supported his father’s decision to strip Andrew of his royal titles. Kate, in turn, supported her husband in the matter’.
