Prince William and Kate Middleton have plenty of duties to take as the future king and queen. After taking over the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales following the Queen’s passing, the couple have a whole new list of things they need to do.
For the most part, they often attend engagements together, lending one another support if needed and presenting a united front for the cameras.
Last week, though, they were forced to work apart. Though it wasn’t an official duty, William and Kate split so that the Prince could attend the wedding of Rose Farquhar.
Now, royal enthusiasts may know that Rose isn’t just any person. No, she’s actually William’s ex-girlfriend – they dated shortly before he met Kate.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have their hands full regarding their royal duties. Meanwhile, their three children, Prince George, Prince Charlotte, and Prince Louis, have settled into their new Lambrook school after the family moved to Adelaide Cottage inside the Windsor Castle grounds.
In early December, the Prince and Princess of Wales visited the US for the first time in many years. The trip was previously scheduled for September, but it had to be postponed after the death of Queen Elizabeth.
Prince William & Kate criticized in Harry & Meghan documentary
While William and Kate seemed to enjoy the trip, it was Prince Harry and Meghan Markle who seemed to steal the attention with the release of the first trailer for their new Netflix series.
The timing for said series’ release is interesting, mostly because it coincided with William and Kate’s preparations for the Earthshot Prize Awards in Boston.
“Here it is, the day before Prince William and Catherine’s big royal event in the USA. Bitter Prince Harry and Meghan,” royal expert Richard Eden said on Twitter.
“I’m appalled by the trailer for Prince Harry and Meghan’s Netflix reality show – and so are Prince William and Catherine’s inner circle.”
“Right on cue, Harry and Meghan drop the trailer for their victimhood fest on Netflix. Shameless,” GB News presenter Dan Wootton said. “Meghan has already destroyed the Markles. Now Harry is trying to destroy the Windsors. Small mercy that the late Queen doesn’t have to live through this.”
Of course, the Royal Family is now patiently waiting for Harry’s tell-all book, Spare, to be released on January 10. The publisher said that the book will be “a “landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief,” which Harry will tell with “raw, unflinching honesty.”
Harry accused the media of Meghan’s miscarriage
With Christmas closing in, it’s the Netflix documentary that has become the main talking point for many royal fans and experts. The series saw Harry and Meghan make new accusations about the Royal Family and their perceived mistreatmeant.
In the sixth and final episode of their documentary series, released last Thursday, Meghan spoke candidly about her miscarriage. At the time, the couple were moving into a new home, and Meghan was incredibly stressed. When the Daily Mail published Meghan’s five-page letter to her father, things got worse – Harry went as far as to blame the media for her miscarriage in the documentary.
“Now, do we absolutely know the miscarriage was created, caused by that? Course we don’t. But bearing in mind the stress that that caused, the lack of sleep, and the timing of the pregnancy, how many weeks in she was, I can say, from what I saw, that miscarriage was created by what they were trying to do to her.”
Moreover – as they did in the Oprah interview – Harry and Meghan leveled a number of allegations against the Royal Family, especially regarding the treatment they received, compared with that afforded to Prince William and Kate.
Harry discussed the rift between him and his older brother in one of the episodes, saying that a “wedge” was driven between the two during the January 2020 crisis talks at Sandringham.
“They were happy to lie to protect my brother”
The meeting – which was attended by Harry, William, then-Prince Charles, and Queen Elizabeth – included discussing Harry and Meghan’s future within the Royal Family. Shortly after leaving the estate, news reports suggested that the Sussexes had left the royals because of their relationship with William.
“A story came out saying that part of the reason why Meghan and I were leaving was because William had bullied us out,” Harry explained in the documentary.
Later, he found out that the Palace had sent out a joint statement with both his and Prince William’s names, where they denied the report. But even though the newspapers interpreted the statement as a “sign of unity,” Harry revealed that no one had asked his permission to put his name on it.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said, adding that he quickly called Meghan afterward, explaining what had happened.
“She burst into floods of tears. Within four hours, they were happy to lie to protect my brother and yet for three years, they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us,” Harry added.
The Royal Family has not yet spoken out since the final episodes of Harry and Meghan’s documentary series were aired.
Prince William and Kate “applauded” for not speaking out
No matter what, the royals will look to protect each other. According to royal expert Ingrid Seward, King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort, have been very supportive of William and Kate.
“Other family members are being supportive, especially the duty-bound King and Queen,” she told the Mirror.
“[They] understand how the accusations in Harry and Meghan’s extensive Netflix interviews have been incredibly hurtful. Rather than stopping to their level, they have been applauded the couple’s decision to not retaliate in any way,” the expert added.
Christmas is just a few days away. As for the royals, the holidays will hopefully be a time when they can relax and not have to think about negative press, loaded questions, or having to deny allegations from Harry and Meghan.
Naturally, the fact that they now will be one less person at the dinner table following Queen Elizabeth’s passing means a massive change for the royals.
Her Majesty loved the yearly Christmas tradition the family held to each year, but it now appears the holidays will be quite different in her absence. As reported by OK, Elizabeth leaves a “massive hole” and an “empty seat” at the celebrations.
Prince William and Kate’s to skip major royal Christmas?
Though the family will gather at the Sandringham Estate as usual, the majority of the royals might only stay for a short time. According to royal correspondent Jennie Bond, Prince William and Kate Middleton will only “drop-in” for the traditional Christmas lunch.
She claims the “younger generation” wants to do their own thing.
“I think the King’s Christmas plans might be up in the air a bit,” Bond said. “The younger royals will probably want to spend time with their own families, so I think the two or three-day celebrations of the past may, indeed, be a thing of the past.”
She added: “While I imagine there will be a gathering at Sandringham, whether it will be quite as extended as it used to be with the Queen and with quite as many people, I’m not sure. Without the linchpin of the Queen holding together an often fractured family, they may suddenly decide to do their own thing.”
On Christmas Day, the royals attend the early Christmas Day service at the Mary Magdalene Church. One of the few official royal activities includes a 300-meter walk to the church from Sandringham House, and insiders have told the Daily Mirror that a certain young prince will be at the front and center of the walk for the first time.
The Palace has not officially confirmed Prince Louis’ appearance, nor the role he might have for the Sandringham walk.
Prince William attends wedding of ex-girlfriend Rose Farquhar
However, sources have told the Mirror that William and Kate’s children will “add a touch of lightness” just months after the Queen’s death, as she always appeared for the traditional walk.
While William and Kate have landed back home in the UK following their US trip to Boston, their schedules remain ever busy. For the future king, that meant attending a wedding last weekend without his wife Kate by his side.
As per reports, it was actually one of William’s former girlfriends tying the knot.
On Saturday, William showed up in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, for the wedding ceremony of his ex-girlfriend Rose Farquhar and her fiancé George Gemmell.
The Prince wore a tuxedo to the wedding. According to People, he kept a “low profile.”
“It was a magical winter wedding in the snow,” the source said. “The bride and groom left in a tunnel of guests with sparklers in the dark before leaving in the back of a vintage Land Rover. The Cotswolds are so beautiful in the snow!”
Rose Farquhar & William’s love story
William and Rose Farquhar’s story goes back many years – according to The Telegraph, they were childhood friends. Her father, Captain Ian Farquhar, was close with the royals and served as one of the Queen Mother’s assistants.
After William had finished his education at Eton College, he and Rose became a couple, marking the future king’s first real romance.
According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, the relationship began at the Beaufort Polo Club. It was “an innocent, tender romance,” as described in her book The Making of a Royal Romance.
But when William headed to Scotland to study at the University of St Andrews, he and Rose split up. Then, while Farquhar attended New York’s Lee Strasburg Insitute, her ex-boyfriend met a new woman, Kate Middleton, and fell in love.
The rest we’re sure you’re familiar with.
Rose Farquhar, meanwhile, went on to pursue a career in the music business.
Who is Prince William’s ex-girlfriend Rose Farquhar`?
She auditioned for several plays, such as The Sound of Music, and in 2016, she sang on the television show The Voice, performing Anyone Who Had a Heart.
Speaking with the Mirror, she said: “I have sung since I was a little girl, singing really makes me tick.”
As of today, Rose is working with development at Belvoir Castle. At her wedding, Prince William met not only his ex-girlfriend – but also an ex-boyfriend of Kate Middleton’s, Rupert Finch. They dated in the early 2000s, about a year before Kate met William.
