Meghan Markle was very affectionate with the royal family when she and Prince Harry lived in the UK, which reportedly made Prince William uncomfortable.
According to British journalist Tom Quinn, palace staff said that in the early days, Meghan, Harry, William, and Kate Middleton—once called the “Fab Four”—got along well. One staff member even recalled Meghan and William playfully dancing together.
However, tensions grew because of Meghan’s warm and friendly nature. She hugged William nearly every time they met, which made him and King Charles III uncomfortable. Some staff even gossiped that Meghan was flirting with William, though sources insisted she was not. Meghan reportedly felt hurt by their reaction since hugging is common in California.
Quinn also claimed that Meghan once asked why William and Charles always sounded so serious and joked that Harry must not have the same parents as William because he was more relaxed. These tensions reportedly worsened the existing rift between Harry and William.
The brothers have remained distant, especially after Harry released his book Spare, where he shared private family matters, including an alleged fight where William physically attacked him.
Despite their differences, they have crossed paths recently due to family illnesses. In March 2024, Harry reportedly reached out to William after learning that King Charles had cancer, and Meghan also contacted Kate Middleton when she was diagnosed with the disease.