Signs William & Kate's Marriage Might Be On The Rocks
If there's one thing the royals know, it's how to put on a good show. No matter what might be going on behind closed doors, the senior members of the British firm always seem ready to slap on a brave face, the perfect smile, and carry on like everything in the world is fine. Case in point was Prince Harry and Princess Catherine's separate outings in June 2023. Harry found himself in London, testifying in a case against The Mirror newspaper group, while Catherine stepped out at the Windsor Family Hub on the same day — maintaining a relatable, calm smile while doing so. The royals are a master class in deflecting and changing the narrative all while keeping a cool exterior, and while Catherine's image is certainly used in this capacity, so is her marriage to Prince William.
For so many years, William and Catherine have been seen as the golden couple of the firm. Young, in love, with three children that will ensure the future of the monarchy, the Prince and Princess of Wales couldn't look more picture perfect. Royal watchers will tell you, however, that they haven't fully escaped the rumor mill. Whispers of infidelity on William's part started swirling in 2019, and with Harry and Meghan Markle's departure from royal life, William and Catherine have been under a tighter microscope than ever before. And some devoted royal fans have found some hints that suggest William and Catherine's marriage might be on the rocks.
Rumors of William's alleged affair keep swirling
In 2019, Prince William was caught up in some scathing rumors involving infidelity. No longer the poster boy for a happy husband, William's alleged affair with Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, popped up in the tabloids and quickly pitted Rose and Princess Catherine against one another. The Sun, specifically, dubbed Rose and Catherine's "rural rival" and claimed that the Princess of Wales had iced Rose out of the high society circle that they once shared — the gossip mill started working double time from there, and whispers about an extramarital affair on William's part became quite rampant.
That's not to say that Rose and Catherine haven't done what they think is necessary to stomp out the smoke. Rose's son, Oliver Cholmondeley, was chosen as one of King Charles III's pages of honor during the coronation on May 6, 2023, naturally resulting in Rose's attendance on the big day. The seemingly warring duo also threatened legal action over the rumors, seemingly casting aside any narrative that involved Rose and William. However, that didn't stop rumors from continuing to emerge, with one being that William allegedly spent Valentine's Day 2023 with Rose rather than his wife. No matter where the truth lies in the situation, Catherine and William can't seem to escape the Rose situation and the whispers surrounding the prince's supposed infidelity.
William's body language at this high-profile event raised eyebrows
It's not often that Prince William and Princess Catherine are captured in a particularly awkward moment, but that was the case when the two traveled to Jordan for Crown Prince Al Hussein and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein's wedding in the summer of 2023. In a video captured of Catherine speaking to the bride, William appears to get more and more agitated, before he makes a hand gesture that is indicative of the "move it along" message. Naturally, the clip made its way to social media and royal watchers were quick to point out the arguably condescending move, including body language expert Judi James.
"This is not one of his finest moments when it comes to either body language or words," James told Express of William's interaction with his wife as she was trying to talk to the newly-minted Jordanian royal. "While he has clearly moved on from the meet and greet with the bride and groom, Kate stands talking to the bride in an animated and very friendly way. She is not causing a 'log jam' ... so there appears to be no logical reason for William to hurry his wife along, especially as she only adds a few seconds to the conversation. Whether he says 'chop chop' his hand gesture alone is bad enough, with a winding gesture that would normally imply that time is running out." James, meanwhile, praised Catherine for seemingly ignoring her husband. Yikes.
William and Catherine didn't show affection at this famous event
Though the world reeled over the death of Queen Elizabeth II, it was almost more surprising to see Prince William, Princess Catherine, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, reunite. Making an appearance outside Windsor, the two couples greeted mourners and took in the memorial objects left in honor of the queen. While it was a welcome sight for some, it presented an analytical moment for others, including body language expert Tonya Reiman. Commenting on William and Catherine's interactions — or lack thereof — Reiman concluded that their familiarity with one another couldn't have been more different to the overtly affectionate Harry and Meghan.
Highlighting a particular moment when it appeared as though William ignored his wife while she waited for her car door to be opened, Reiman told Fox News Digital of the two couples, "William is not going to open the door because he knows there's somebody to open the door for her. For Meghan and Harry, it's more of an affectionate moment. This is a different kind of relationship. And this is also the relationship that you put out to the public."
"When it comes to the hand holding, there is a difference between the two brothers. I think it suggests more of what William and Kate feel is 'appropriate' and what Meghan and Harry feel comfortable with," Reiman continued. "They know what they're supposed to demonstrate. So they do that."
William is said to be 'quite controlling'
Before Meghan Markle came onto the scene, royal watchers were almost always guaranteed to see Prince William, Princess Catherine, and Prince Harry attending all their events together. A seemingly inseparable trio, they represented the new generations of royals, or so it seemed. A former staff member of King Charles III's household, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who spoke to the Sunday Times in 2019 broke open this narrative, revealing that William was — and is — always in control. Before Meghan, it was that he dictated what his brother did and said, but now that Harry has striked out on his own, all of William's ire falls to his wife.
"William's quite controlling, and he was in control when it was just the three of them, but now he's not," Lowther-Pinkerton said. "I personally wouldn't overegg Meghan's role in all this because it's unfair," he continued, alluding to the very common narrative at the time that Harry's distance from the royal family was entirely her fault. Carrying on about William and Catherine's dynamic, Lowther-Pinkerton estimated that the Prince of Wales would simply need "to get used to" not being in control anymore, something that could flare his reportedly quick temper.
From telling his wife to quickly sit down at the 2019 BAFTAs to Catherine's arguably obvious frustration with her husband on occasion, there have been a number of instances that have fueled the rumor fire.
Royal watchers think that the palace is working overtime to protect William and Catherine's image
Any royal watcher knows that recently as of publication, unsubstantiated rumors about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship have been swirling. From reports that Harry has been escaping Meghan to the involvement of divorce attorneys, the rumor mill has been working overtime. With all this said, there are a number of fans who believe that the increase in negative Harry and Meghan news is all a distraction from the couple that is really having issues — Prince William and Princess Catherine.
Sharing a screenshot of negative story after negative story of Harry and Meghan, Twitter user The Duchess Zone commented, "Like I was saying, William is divorcing Catherine," using the slamming stories as justification. It should be noted that there is no legal evidence suggesting that the two are getting divorced, but other royal watchers were quick to jump on the bandwagon.
"I wonder if these stories about the Sussexes' 'divorce', as well as about Charles and Camilla at the flower show, are meant to send Kate a message: Remember your place. We can tear you down, just as fast as we raised you. Or Hint-hint. Nudge-nudge. We want you out, ASAP," another fan commented. "I kept wondering why I kept seeing all of these divorce stories when we just saw them in New York looking like lovestruck teenagers. They will always be the scapegoats. When will it end??" another wrote.
Catherine reportedly spends time dealing with William's anger
Of all the royal feuds that have taken place throughout more recent history — from King Charles III and Diana Spencer's strife to Princess Anne's affair and everything in between — Prince William and Prince Harry's estrangement has taken the cake. Amid the devolving relationship, Harry has been vocal about his experiences within the royal family, while William is said to have grown increasingly angry. Who deals with his anger, however? According to an insider who spoke to the Daily Mail, it's Princess Catherine who apparently spends most of her time trying to contend with her husband's reported temper.
"She treated the whole issue in terms of supporting her husband who, while angry at some of what was being said and done, was largely just consumed with sadness about what was happening with his brother," the source claimed, before adding that Catherine has also been trying to focus on the wellbeing of her family's staff, too. The insider continued, "[William] flies off the handle at any sign of Kate being patronized and stamps that out very quickly. It's one of his triggers. Over the years, many people have come up with great ideas for her, but if they are put across in a dismissive way, they've got pretty short shrift from him."
Harry said the palace will lie on William's behalf
While royal drama comes and goes, it's not often that the actual members of the family comment on the most high-profile rumors. However, when Prince Harry sat down as part of his Netflix docuseries, "Harry & Meghan," and addressed the press office tactics that targeted his wife and protected his brother, the Duke of Sussex essentially poured fuel on a small spark. Though he didn't get too into specifics, Harry did not mince his words when he said, "[The palace was] happy to lie to protect my brother. They were never willing to tell the truth to protect us."
Many royal watchers took Harry's statement as a hint that the cracks in Prince William and Princess Catherine's marriage were not only established, but growing in real time, given that the couple regularly receives positive press coverage. Meghan later remarked, "I wasn't being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves," indicating that far more went on behind closed doors than previously thought.
Further commenting on his brother's marriage and the palace's attempts to preserve William and Catherine's image, Harry told ABC News' Michael Strahan, "They pitched the Waleses — of which Kate and William are now — against the Sussexes, me and my wife. They've always pitched us against each other. They pitched Kate and Meghan against each other."
William reportedly has some condescending nicknames for Catherine
Almost every couple out there has some sort of pet name for their significant other, but when it comes to Prince William and Princess Catherine, the prince's nicknames for his wife have regularly been seen as digs. According to royal author Tom Quinn who wrote the bombshell book, "Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family," William has two pet names for his wife: "Babykins" and "Duchess of Doolittle." While the first could just be seen as a playful take on "baby" or "darling," the "Duchess of Doolittle" remark is believed to be a condescending jab.
According to Quinn, who explained the root of the nickname to Fox News Digital, the "Duchess of Doolittle" is supposedly William's way of referencing Catherine's lack of a professional life ahead of their wedding. Quinn also details in his book, thanks to a royal source, that William calls his wife by "darling" when he is mad at her, including a tone of frustration in his voice. Their worst interactions meanwhile, according to the source who spoke to Quinn, come when they are in the presence of overbearing palace staff.
"Kate is very much the calm one," Quinn told the outlet, before turning his attention to the Prince of Wales. "William is the one who's a bit hotheaded...but Kate is very levelheaded. She's the one who will pour oil on troubled waters and go, 'Let's not stir things up.'"
According to a royal insider, Catherine and William's fights can get heated
Marriage is not for the faint of heart, and many couples out there will attest to the fact that communication with your significant other is not easy. But, when things start to escalate beyond a level of reasonable discourse, it can be cause of concern. As it happens, Prince William and Princess Catherine are known for their monumental arguments, in part thanks to the Prince of Wales' aforementioned short temper. According to royal author Tom Quinn who spoke to Fox News Digital even further about the couple, William and Catherine's arguments have allegedly gotten so bad that they have not only gotten violent, but have resulted in the two not speaking to one another for an extended period of time.
"They have terrible rows where they throw things at each other. ... Of course, privately, William and Kate, like all couples, fall out, row, shout at each other and say unkind things to each other, but Kate is an appeaser by instinct and William always gives way as he had more than enough emotional turmoil, divorce and disruption as a child," Quinn claimed to the outlet.
Providing additional context to Fox News Digital, Quinn added, "They want to be seen as an ordinary couple with the same stresses of having children, work and everything else that life brings."
Catherine was angry at William for not publicly defending her against Prince Harry's book
When Prince Harry was still immersed in royal life, he was often seen as the sidekick to Prince William and Princess Catherine's storybook romance. However, when he and Meghan Markle started striking out on their own, Harry became more emboldened to stick up for himself and his wife, even if that meant telling his truth about his sister-in-law. Taking aim at her, among others, in his memoir, Harry held nothing back within his pages, causing issues for William and Catherine. A source exclusively claimed to RadarOnline that the Princess of Wales was incredibly offended by the book's contents and became increasingly frustrated that William wouldn't defend her publicly.
"Kate felt William should stick up for her more," the palace source told the outlet. "Yet William and the palace thought that saying nothing was best." And so was the tactic, as the palace never released a statement regarding Harry's book or its content, while the royals themselves actively avoided questions about it.
The source added that Catherine, known for "de-escalating things with her Zen-like presence," hoped that the book would encourage William to say something and work on his temper. Given that the royals stayed silent on Harry's book, Harry and Meghan's New York City paparazzi chase, and other large-scale issues, it's clear that the tactic is to charge ahead.
William and Catherine were thought to be at odds on King Charles III's coronation day
All eyes were on the royals on May 6, 2023, King Charles III's coronation day. It was the celebration decades in the making, and while it was certainly an affair to remember, many royal watchers picked up on what they believed to be subtle clues dropped by Prince William and Princess Catherine. Not only were the Prince and Princess of Wales late for the coronation, but some eagle-eyed fans quickly suspected something was amiss based on William and Catherine's body language when walking up to Westminster Abbey. William was in mid-conversation while Catherine looked down at the ground, both giving off a frustrated energy. Of course, they could have been just stressed out because they arrived late to one of the biggest days in their family's history, but some suspected something deeper was going on.
"I know nothing about royalty but that's not a photo of a happy family," one Twitter user commented on a photo of William, Catherine, and their children walking up the Westminster Abbey steps. Another focused on Catherine specifically, saying, "Such an unhappy looking couple. She isn't pretending today." And even a third went as far as commenting, "They absolutely almost got divorced in this argument." Again, this is all speculative, but it's juicy nonetheless.
They've reportedly argued about Prince George's education
Prince George's arrival still seems like yesterday to us, but the future monarch's parents are already thinking about where (and whether) to send him to boarding school. Prince William went to Eton and, as an insider alleged to OK! magazine, "[George] wants to be just like his father." Princess Catherine, on the other hand, may not be so sure that the high-class school is right for her oldest son. "Kate thinks sending him to such a stuffy, upper-crust institution goes against all of their efforts to modernize the monarchy," the source claimed.
That wasn't her only reason for wanting Prince George to be kept at home, according to the source. Catherine would also simply miss her son if he were to go away for school. "[It] seems as if her family is being torn apart," the source said, noting that Catherine is concerned that William will want their other two children to attend boarding school as well.
Even though George won't be old enough for Eton until he turns 13 in 2026, the school requires students to commit years earlier, including taking entrance exams. As People reported, the family has already visited the college together, and Catherine missed out on a royal trip to Singapore because, as William told the crowd, she was "helping George through his first set of major exams." This could mean Eton is very well in George's future; however, his placement on the exams could qualify him for other schools as well.
They reportedly disagree over forgiving Harry and Meghan
Ever since Meghan Markle began dating Prince Harry, royal watchers began speculating about what the other famous woman in the family really felt about the "Suits" actor. Royal expert Katie Nicholl told the Mirror that Meghan's initial popularity was a wake-up call for Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales. And by the time the media turned on Prince Harry's wife, Catherine seemed to have pulled back.
Now, of course, Prince Harry and Meghan have left the monarchy amid an acrimonious turn in the relationship between the brothers. William and Catherine, on the other hand, remain the face of the royal family's next generation. The relationship between Harry and William may have even caused issues in William's relationship with Catherine. The royal couple reportedly disagrees about whether to mend relations. "Kate has no desire to communicate with Harry nor Meghan," a source told Us Weekly. "There has been too much that has happened and she's not ready yet."
William, on the other hand, might want to patch things up with his brother. "William wants to extend an olive branch to Harry. It's a shocking about-face, but he feels it's long overdue," another insider alleged to Life & Style. The source claimed that when William told Catherine how he was feeling, it didn't go over well. "She was incensed, and she and William got into a big fight," the source revealed. "She'll never forgive Meghan for what she did."
Catherine was 'furious' in Warsaw
Disharmony may not be entirely new for Prince William and Princess Catherine. Back in 2017, the Prince and Princess of Wales traveled to Poland and attended a party in recognition of Queen Elizabeth II's birthday. In a speech, Prince William told the crowd that he and Catherine were excited to visit the country. "Thank you to everyone for the warm welcome you have given us," he said, "which underlines the strength of the relationship between our two peoples."
However, this event gave us context into a relationship other than just the U.K. and Poland's. According to body language expert Judi James, photos made it clear the princess was "furious" with her husband at the time. "When we see a photo of a royal looking angry or stressed it can often be a body language 'flash,' i.e. a very fleeting facial expression that has been taken out of context," James told Express. That apparently wasn't the case with the Warsaw event — and it usually isn't the case with Catherine, whom James said is very good at controlling her expression.
"There are several photos of the occasion that show her looking unhappy or even throwing William some pointed looks while he tried to remain neutral, with a faint, polite, closed lip smile of what looked like regret or awkwardness," James relayed. It's unclear what the discord was about, but it was obvious to those who knew what to look for.
They seem exhausted by constant scandal
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat for their interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, they revealed that someone in the royal family had asked them what color their son's skin would be once he was born. They didn't name the relative who asked the inappropriate question, but that didn't stop royal watchers from speculating about who could have been so ignorant.
Royal expert and author Omid Scobie's book "Endgame" hit shelves toward the end of 2023, enmeshing the Windsors with further scandal. A Dutch translation of the book inadvertently named King Charles III and Catherine, Princess of Wales, as the royals who uttered the now-infamous remarks. Although Scobie claims to know who made the remarks, he explained on RTL Boulevard, a Dutch program, "There's never been a version that I've produced that has names in it. Unfortunately I can't speak Dutch so I haven't seen the copy for myself, so if there have been any translation errors I'm sure the publisher's got it under control" (via BBC). The book was pulled from Dutch stores, but by then the news had spread, leading to renewed questions about Prince William and Catherine's relationship with Harry and Meghan. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace revealed that they were "exploring all options" in the wake of the error, though it's unclear everything that would entail.
In late November, a video taken by People magazine's Simon Perry captured reporters asking the couple about the book's damning details — all of which William and Catherine ignored. In an interview with Fox News, Nick Bullen said of the couple ignoring the press, "It's just a sense of, 'Really? Again?' ... I think a tiredness would probably be the way it's being felt in the [Prince and Princess of Wales] household."
Princess Catherine has started to 'assert her authority over William'
On St. Patrick's Day in 2023, Princess Catherine took over as Colonel of the Irish Guards. Prince William used to hold the position, but various royal duties were rearranged when King Charles III took the throne, leaving the guard in Catherine's hands. The St. Patrick's Day celebration was Catherine's first event in charge of the regiment, and understandably, she took her duties seriously.
While there, the Princess of Wales gave her husband a stare that one body language expert said indicated a "power play" between the two of them. "She stands fully to attention as she fixes William with what looks like a seriously cold, hard stare," Judi James told Express. Calling Catherine's body language "military, rather than royal," James noted that "William's response to her stare is a very puckered-looking smile." However, that could reflect "pride and perhaps a sense of respect."
Body language expert and psychologist Darren Stanton told Marie Clare that Catherine's outfit choice was an indicator that she was trying to exert power over her husband. Calling her teal coat a "superhero" color, Stanton noted, "It's clear she wanted to stand out from the crowd and assert her authority over William and the other guests."