The royal rumors are flying after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they would be stepping down as "senior" members of the Royal Family, but there's at least one we can put to bed. The Dukes of both Sussex and Cambridge issued a statement to CNN denying a report in the Times of London that claimed Prince William was "bullying" Prince Harry out of the family.
"Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a U.K. newspaper today speculating about the relationship between the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge," the statement reads. "For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful."
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It is not the first rift that has been fabricated between the brothers' families. For some time, U.K. tabloids persistently chased the notion that there was drama between Meghan and Kate Middleton. It started in the fall of 2018 when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved away from Kensington Palace and (debunked) reports of Meghan being rude to Kate's staff surfaced. There were even rumors of a royal nickname: "Monster Markle."
Instead, the truth lies in the most recent statement given by the Queen: that Prince Harry and Meghan wish to raise their family away from the pressures of royal life.
"My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family," the statement reads. "Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family."
It's all this unfair press that prompted the Duke and Duchess to sue the U.K. tabloid, the Daily Mail, and its parent company and is probably one of the reasons they're interested in stepping back. It sounds like these rumors will persist until the royal life is well and truly behind them.