Harry bluntly told Kate 'a younger sister would've been nicer' before wedding

31 August 2023 , 09:50

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Prince Harry and Kate Middleton share a joke at the 2014 Trooping the Colour (Image: David Hartley/REX/Shutterstock)

Kate Middleton was snubbed by a blunt joke Prince Harry made shortly before her wedding, saying a “younger sister would’ve been nicer”.

Prince William and Prince Harry were once inseparable but the two royal brothers seemingly couldn’t be further apart now. When they stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the unveiling of a statue of Princess Diana at one of their last events together, the two tried to put on a united front, but didn’t seem to be engaging with one another much.

But the meeting in July last year came after Harry and Meghan Markle unleashed a string of explosive allegations against the Royal Family. This included that the Duchess of Sussex had faced racism when pregnant with her child, and also that The Firm had failed to support her as she struggled with her mental health.

Prince Harry made the eyebrow raising joke shortly before Kate and William's wedding (Getty Images)

The Express reported that a Palace source said the Duchess of Cambridge didn’t get too riled up over the fallout from the Oprah Winfrey interview and instead tried to act like a peacemaker between the brothers. This included, royal expert Camilla Tominey claimed, playing a key role in bringing the brothers together for the statue unveiling.

But Harry and Kate used to be incredibly close at one point. Along with William, they would often appear at events together and the Royal Foundation, which the Sussexes since left, had a number of successes including the Invictus Games and the Heads Together campaign.

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But speaking ahead of the Cambridge’s wedding on April 29, 2011, the Duke of Sussex made a slightly blunt comment about his future sister-in-law. According to a throwback report by Grazia, Harry said: "A younger brother or younger sister would have been nicer. But to have a big sister is obviously very, very nice.

"I’ve got to know Kate pretty well, but now that she’s becoming part of the family, I’m really looking forward to getting her under my wing – or she’ll be taking me under her wing probably. She’s a fantastic girl. She really is. My brother’s very lucky, and she’s very lucky to have my brother. I think the two of them are a perfect match."

In the interview, Prince Harry also admitted he and other royals thought marriage was "never going to happen" for his older brother. He said: "We all thought that it was never going to happen for him. But it has happened, and I think everyone’s going to be very proud of him. I think he’s done the right thing. He’s waited, and he’s done it when he feels right, and it’s a huge step.”

Kieren Williams