Prince William and Princess Catherine AKA Kate Middleton weren’t going down without a fight during their feud with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle!
As Perezcious readers know, the couple sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March of 2021, during which they dropped a number of bombshells about the royal family. These accusations included the institution’s failure to help Meghan as she struggled with the media and her mental health, and an unnamed family member commented on the skin color of their then-unborn son, Prince Archie. It was an explosive interview, to say the least! And it no doubt ruined their relationship with the family.
Afterward, everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting to see how the royals would respond. And when it finally came, people immediately took notice of a few words: “Some recollections may vary.” The statement read at the time:
“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. Whilst some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”
Although the royal family’s official response came from the late Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William and Princess Catherine apparently had a huge part in shaping the statement behind the scenes! According to an excerpt in The Times from author Valentine Low’s new book Courtiers, there was originally a “milder version” of the statement that did not include the famous “some recollections may vary” line! An insider told him:
“It had a much milder version. The debate was, do your rise entirely above it and offer the olive branch of (Harry and Meghan being) ‘much loved members of the family’? Or is there some moment when you have to intervene and offer a view?”
Some in the palace were worried about starting a “tit-for-tat” situation with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. But for William and Catherine? They did not approve of the tamer response to the matter and pushed for “toughened up” wording that made it clear the family did not agree with Meghan and Harry’s version of events – at all:
“They wanted it toughened up a bit. They were both of one mind that we needed something that said that the institution did not accept a lot of what had been said.”
According to Low, William demanded the courtiers come up with some way “of making sure that we are saying that this does not stand,” and Catherine was “right behind him on it.” Damn! They were really pissed about the whole situation, huh?! It was then that the future king’s private secretary, Jean-Christophe Gray, created the “recollections may vary” phrase. Once it was included, Catherine personally fought for it to remain in the final version:
“It was Kate who clearly made the point, ‘History will judge this statement and unless this phrase or a phrase like it is included, everything that they have said will be taken as true.’”
The scathing draft was sent to Buckingham Palace, with Queen Elizabeth giving her stamp of approval. And we all know the drama that has ensued ever since. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Could William and Catherine be handling more of how the palace responds to Harry and Meghan’s antics? Sound OFF on the new revelation in the comments below!
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