Prince William is reportedly considering blocking Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from attending the future funeral of King Charles III, fearing the couple could use the solemn event for personal or commercial gain, according to individuals close to the royal household.
The concerns come as King Charles, 76, continues to battle an undisclosed form of cancer. According to insiders, William has grown increasingly wary of his younger brother and sister-in-law, particularly in light of their lucrative media contracts and public criticism of the monarchy since stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
"There is always trouble around Meghan. That's why they didn't let her see Queen Elizabeth before she died in 2022," one source told the Globe US, referring to heightened palace tensions around the couple's presence at official family events.
Sources say the Prince of Wales is determined to "ice out" the Duke and Duchess of Sussex if Charles's condition worsens. "If he is going to attend his father's funeral, it's going to come with the consequence of Meghan not being able to go," one insider said, adding that Harry would only be welcome under strict conditions, according to RadarOnline.com.
William, 42, is reportedly concerned about maintaining the dignity of royal events, particularly after years of public fallout, including Harry's memoir Spare, which depicted Charles as emotionally distant, William as temperamental, and Queen Camilla as manipulative. Meghan has also alleged that Princess Kate made her cry ahead of her 2018 wedding and implied that senior royals expressed concern over her unborn child's skin color.
Behind the scenes, palace sources suggest William has become more assertive in distancing the Crown from the Sussexes. "I believe Prince William is on a revenge kick-because it seems like he is purposely and consciously appointing people who publicly don't get along with Meghan to prominent positions," one insider claimed.
Jason Knauf, who once served as communications secretary to both couples and later accused Meghan of bullying staff-claims she has denied-was recently appointed CEO of The Earthshot Prize, William's flagship environmental charity. In a separate move, William's close ally Iain Rawlinson joined the board of Sentebale, an African youth charity Harry co-founded, shortly after Harry stepped down as patron following a reported clash with its chairwoman.
Courtiers have reportedly discussed enforcing tight restrictions at the funeral, including banning recording devices and outside media crews. "They probably think Harry would attend the funeral to make money," one source said. "They are nervous about things getting out, and they all know Harry is the mole."
William has refrained from making public comments on his brother and sister-in-law's actions, in keeping with the late Queen Elizabeth's stoic approach. However, insiders describe his private frustration as mounting. "Harry is like a puppy dog and goes along with everything Meghan says," one source said. "At this point, he has come to terms with not being close to his family."
Despite reports that King Charles expressed a desire to see his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, those wishes appear to have gone unanswered. Whether Prince Harry will be granted access to the eventual funeral may depend entirely on his willingness to leave Meghan behind.
