Entertainment

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are in the dark about Kate Middleton’s abdominal surgery and recovery.

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton watch a flypast at Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018. PHOTO:

MAX MUMBY/INDIGO/GETTY IMAGES

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are in the dark about Kate Middleton’s abdominal surgery and recovery.

“They are aware of everything that goes on back in England, but are being left out of any details regarding Kate,” a family source tells PEOPLE. “There is clearly no trust.”

Despite Prince Harry, 39, traveling from California to the U.K. last month following the announcement of King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, his brief visit to his home country did not involve meeting with his brother, Prince William, 41, or sister-in-law, Princess Kate, 42. A royal source said at the time there were “no plans” for the brothers to get together.

A former courtier suggested that the Prince of Wales’ “principal concern is his wife” in the weeks following the surgery that kept her in the hospital for nearly two weeks, but trust continues to be a concern following the release of Harry’s revealing memoir, Spare, and the Netflix docuseries with Meghan, 42.

“It would be the normal run of things to go and see your sister-in-law who’s had a serious operation and also see your niece and nephews. But it isn’t normal. It’s terribly sad,” a source close to the royal household told PEOPLE.

Prince William and Prince Harry unveil a statue of their mother, Princess Diana, at Kensington Palace on July 1, 2021. YUI MOK/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Kate Middleton Sends a Subtle Message with Her Hoodie During Farm Shop Outing with Prince William

In another sign of the ongoing family rift, Queen Camilla made a deliberate effort to be in the room during Prince Harry and King Charles’ 30-minute reunion on Feb. 6.

“This is all to do with William’s wish to protect the institution of the monarchy, which he feels Harry can’t be trusted with. I don’t think William will ever agree to readmission of Harry into the family unless he clearly apologizes and moves forward,” royal author Robert Lacey told PEOPLE.

Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle view tributes to Queen Elizabeth on Sept. 10, 2022.

CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY

Prince Harry spoke with Good Morning America‘s Will Reeve last month about the trip to the U.K. to see his father.

“Look, I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that,” Harry said in the on-camera interview.

As for whether King Charles’ cancer diagnosis could have a “reunifying effect” on the royal family, Harry, who was in Canada connecting with Invictus Games competitors and their loved ones, said: “Absolutely. Yeah, I’m sure. Throughout all these families, I see it on a day-to-day basis, the strength of the family unit coming together.”

The Duke of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍 added, “I have my own family, as we all do. My family and my life in California is as it is. I’ve got other trips planned that would take me through the U.K. or back to the U.K., so I’ll stop in and see my family as much as I can.”

Kate Middleton’s Surgery Recovery and Photo Controversy: Everything to KnowKing Charles and Prince Harry join a procession for Queen Elizabeth’s Lying-in-State on Sept. 14, 2022.

JEFF J MITCHELL – WPA POOL/GETTY

With King Charles and Princess Kate’s health scares keeping them away from public duties, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry would be major figures in the royal family if they hadn’t stepped back from their roles in 2020 and relocated to California.

“This is a slimmed-down monarchy in the ways the King could never have anticipated. This puts into much sharper focus what a terrible mistake it was for Harry to leave,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told PEOPLE. “If he and Meghan had stayed in Britain and stuck with their jobs, they could be very vital players right now.”

Added Catherine Mayer, the author of Charles: The Heart of a King, “They desperately need him, and nobody could have foreseen the set of circumstances that would expose that so dramatically.”

Related Posts

Meghan appears to be ashamed of her dad – why else hasn’t Prince Harry met him? It’s very strange, expert says

PRINCE Harry not meeting Meghan Markle’s dad is “very strange”, a royal expert says.   Ingrid Seward also questioned if the Duchess of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍 was “ashamed” of her estranged father Thomas…

Nick Jonas the doting dad shares sweet moments with daughter Malti, 2, at amusement park while his wife Priyanka Chopra films in Australia

Nick Jonas is visiting wife Priyanka Chopra in Australia while she works on her latest film, The Bluff. The 31-year-old Jonas Brother singer spent Wednesday doting on their two-year-old daughter Malti…

Support for Taylor Swift get-out-the-vote efforts falls after Super Bowl conspiracy theory

More than half of voters in a new survey say they support pop star Taylor Swift’s get-out-the-vote effort to push her fans to vote in this year’s election,…

Rafael Nadal y su esposa Maria Francisca Perello parecían tensos durante una cita para almorzar en Melbourne

Rafael Nadal y su esposa, María Francisca “Xisca” Perelló, disfrutaron de un almuerzo en el lujoso restaurante Nobu en Melbourne, pero parecieron tensos durante la comida. Aunque la…

Priyanka Chopra Reveals How Beauty Routines Boost Her Self-Esteem

Priyanka Chopra, the 41-year-old actress married to former Disney Channel star Nick Jonas and mom to two-year-old Malti Marie, emphasizes the importance of self-care in her busy life….

Ciara calls Russell Wilson her “biggest inspiration” as the $242,6K QB faces a challenging journey to revive his NFL career.

Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara are each other’s biggest fans and support each other in their career endeavors. As news broke early this week that the Denver…