Prince William and Kate Middleton did not have a sit-down conversation with Prince Harry after Prince Philip's funeral because they feared details would be leaked, a royal historian has claimed.
The trio were seen walking and chatting together for a few minutes as they left their grandfather's funeral service at Windsor Castle in April.
It was believed at the time that the brothers then spoke to each other and to their father Prince Charles for around two hours afterwards.
This was said to be in the hope of repairing relations following Prince Harry and Meghan's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
However, leading royal historian Robert Lacey has said in an updated version of his book Battle of the Brothers that the conversation did not take place because the Cambridges were worried their conversation would be leaked.
In the book, which is being serialised in The Times, Mr Lacey wrote: 'They told friends that they could see no point in talking to Harry since any discussion of substance would go straight back to Meghan to be leaked via Oprah [Winfrey] or some other tentacle of the Sussex network.'
Prince William and Kate Middleton did not have a sit-down conversation with Prince Harry after Prince Philip's funeral because they feared details would be leaked, a royal historian has claimed
Instead, Prince Charles is said to have gone back to his Wales home whilst Kate and William went home to Kensington Palace to put their children to bed.
The Cambridges' alleged fears came after Meghan's friend Gayle King revealed on US news channel CBS that while Prince Harry had had talks with his brother and father after his interview with Oprah, these discussions were 'not productive'.
She said in March: 'Well, I did actually call them to see how they are feeling, it's true, Harry has talked to his brother and his father, too.
'The word I was given was, those conversations were not productive. But they are glad they at least started a conversation.'
Mr Lacey also said in his updated book that it was 'not by accident' that neither Princess Anne nor the Countess of Wessex - Prince Edward's wife - spoke in public with Prince Harry on the day of Prince Philips' funeral.
He wrote: 'People felt incensed by what they saw as the calculated and focused cruelty of the TV interview and by the hypocrisy of Meghan — relating so brightly to Oprah how she had phoned the Queen to show her concern about Philip's condition without even considering, apparently, the impact that their televised catalogue of grievance might have upon the invalid's morale and health.'
Leading royal biographer Robert Lacey has said in an updated version of his book Battle of the Brothers that the conversation did not take place because the Cambridges were worried their conversation 'would go straight back to Meghan (pictured) to be leaked via Oprah'
The Cambridges' alleged fears came after Meghan's friend Gayle King revealed on US news channel CBS that while Prince Harry had had talks with his brother and father after his interview with Oprah, these discussions were 'not productive'
Ms King, who attended Meghan's baby shower in 2019, said on CBS she had been told by the Sussexes that they had been keen for the 'royals to intervene and tell the Press to stop with the unfair, inaccurate, false stories that definitely have a racial slant'.
Ms King, 66, who is also close friends with Oprah, failed to give any examples of the stories she was referring to, but added that Meghan has 'documents to back up everything that she said on Oprah's interview'.
She added: 'And I think what is still upsetting to them is the palace keep saying they want to work it out privately, but yet, they believe these false stories are coming out that are very disparaging against Meghan, still.
'No one in the Royal Family has talked to
