Meghan Markle's Friend Reveals The Truth About Prince Harry And Prince William's Relationship

Following news of Queen Elizabeth II's ill health on the afternoon of September 8, members of the royal family made their way up to Balmoral Castle in Scotland to be by her side. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, happened to be in the U.K. before the events unfolded. They arrived on Sunday, September 4, in Manchester (via USA Today).

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in London on September 8, preparing to attend the WellChild Awards that evening (via ITV News). Following the first statement from Buckingham Palace about the queen's health (via BBC News), a spokesperson for the couple confirmed they were traveling to Balmoral. However, it was later confirmed that Meghan decided to stay behind in London. Harry continued on, arriving an hour or so after his grandmother's death was announced. There, he joined his brother, Prince William, and the rest of the immediate royal family to mourn their loss (via The Telegraph).

It's unclear why Meghan decided to stay behind, but it has certainly reignited speculation about a rift between Prince Harry and Prince William (via Cosmopolitan).

Friend and royal commentator Omid Scobie spoke of the supposed feud between Prince Harry and Prince William in a column for Yahoo! News, revealing that a senior palace aide told him that "looking at [the coverage], you would be forgiven for thinking that certain family members have had a say in the matter. They have not."

In addition to that comment, a family friend told Scobie that Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is allegedly "waiting for accountability" from his brother. "[William] was at the center of a number of painful moments, be it the actions of his own staff or turning his back when support was needed," they said. "It was a dark time and one that, so far, William has been unprepared to attack." On the other hand, the family friend added that William, Duke of Cambridge, is "still waiting" for an apology from Harry for speaking about private family matters on a global stage.

According to The Sun, senior royals are reportedly avoiding a meeting between the two brothers until Harry's memoir is released later this year. Angela Levin, a royal biographer, told the newspaper that "it's likely Catherine and William will try to avoid any contact with Harry and Meghan until they know the contents of Harry's memoirs and their Netflix documentary." She added that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex "have lost their chance of being trusted as the chance is they will use any conversation."

Initially arriving in the U.K. on September 4 ahead of a scheduled appearance at the WellChild Awards (that they ended up canceling due to the queen's death), Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, are reportedly staying at Frogmore Cottage at Windsor, according to the Independent. The couple lived there for a while before moving to the United States. Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, now reside there with their young son, August.

In the summer, Prince William, Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, and Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, moved out of their apartment in Kensington (via Hello!) and into Adelaide Cottage in Windsor (via Town & Country). Despite being very close to his older brother during his visit — approximately 700 yards, according to the Daily Mail — Prince Harry hadn't met with William until they were at Balmoral together to mourn the loss of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II (via The Telegraph).