Kate Middleton Is Prince William’s ‘Shoulder to Lean on’ Amid His Rift With Harry

In the weeks since Meghan and Harry’s bombshell interview, Kate Middleton has been supporting her husband Prince William by always offering him a “shoulder to lean on,” a source tells Us Weekly.

The Duchess of Cambridge, 39, is said to be acting as a “pillar of strength” for the Duke, 38, amid his ongoing rift with his brother. Rumors of a feud between Harry and William date back as far as 2018, but tensions appeared to have picked up again following the Sussexes’ interview with Oprah on March 7. According to a source who spoke to Us Weekly on March 24, Duchess Kate is doing her best to support William during this “difficult” time.

“Kate’s used to all eyes being on her. Being in a strong, solid marriage to William helps,” a source told the magazine. “They lean on each other for support during difficult times and will talk through their problems. She’s been her husband’s pillar of strength throughout this whole ordeal.”

A second insider adds, “Kate is a natural leader who has a magnificent ability to remain composed, even during the most challenging situations.”

And challenging it has been. A source previously told the site that Kate and William were “in total shock” after the Sussexes’ sit-down with Oprah, in which Harry spoke candidly about his rocky relationship with his brother. The Duke of Sussex revealed, in no uncertain terms, that there is still “space” between them.

“I love William to bits. We’ve been through hell together, and we have a shared experience, but we are on different paths,” Harry said during the CBS special. “The relationship is space at the moment, and time heals all things, hopefully.”

The Duke of Sussex went on to suggest that his brother and father, Prince Charles, are “trapped” by the royal institution. “My father and my brother, they are all trapped,” he said. “They don’t get to leave. And I have huge compassion for that.”

According to a statement by royal expert and Vanity Fair royal editor Katie Nicholl, William refutes the claim that he is “trapped” by his role in the royal family. “We’re hearing reports that Prince William felt quite affronted by the claims that Harry made in the interview, not only to the suggestion of racism within the royal family,” Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight on March 23.

Nicholl continued, “We’ve also heard through friends of William who have spoken to the newspapers over here that he really rejects that suggestion from his brother that he feels ‘trapped’ by the firm, that he feels trapped by his future role. If you speak to the sources close to William, they say this is very much not the case. He’s very willing to embrace his destiny as a future king, and he’s very happy to step up to his responsibilities.”