Why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Still Keeping Their Distance From Kate Middleton During Her Cancer Treatment

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex 'don't want to add stress to the situation' as the Princess of Wales continues her cancer treatment.

By Allison Schonter

Amid a difficult time for the British royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are keeping their distance. Currently thousands of miles away in California, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are attempting to be "super respectful" of Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton's space as the Princess of Wales continues treatment following her cancer diagnosis.

"The Duke and Duchess [of Sussex] want to be super respectful and don't want to add stress to the situation," a source told Us Weekly. "If Will and Kate want their space, Meghan and Harry will give it to them."

Kate first revealed her cancer diagnosis in March. After Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that the princess underwent a "planned abdominal surgery" and would remain "in the hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery," the princess shared in a March 22 video that "tests after the operation found cancer had been present." She did not reveal what type of cancer she had been diagnosed with, but shared that her "medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."

Her diagnosis came amid a highly reported years-long rift. The two couples have notably been at odds for some time now and have had a tense relationship ever since Harry and Meghan's 2019 marriage. In the years since stepping down as working royals and moving to the U.S., where they reside with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, Harry and Meghan have made headlines for their claims against the royal family, notably taking part in their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey and Harry publishing his scathing memoir Spare in January 2023.

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Despite the strain on their relationship, the Wales and Sussexes have maintained pleasantries, with Harry and Meghan sharing in a statement with Entertainment Tonight following Kate's diagnosis, "We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace." But it seems that Kate's cancer diagnosis is putting "things into perspective" for the two couples, who may well be on their way to making amends.

A second source told Us Weekly that William and Kate "want a relationship with Meghan and Harry and they don't want the acrimony to carry over to the next generation" and hope that their children – Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 -can eventually have a relationship with their cousins. The source said the couple wants "to mend fences with them for the kids' sake," with the outlet's first source stating that Harry and Meghan "obviously" want their two children to have a relationship with their cousins.

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