'Kate And Harry Might Have Worked': Prince William Resented Brother's 'Near Fling' With Wife

The ongoing royal rift between Prince William and Prince Harry involves Kate Middleton, according to insiders. The future king is allegedly jealous of his brother and wife's close bond and the possibility that they could have ended together when they split decades ago.

Prince William Knew 'Kate And Harry Might Have Worked As A Couple'

Prince Harry was very close to Prince William and Kate Middleton when the Prince and Princess of Wales were still dating. He was even dubbed their wingman and third wheel. The royal trio maintained that close bond until Meghan Markle entered the picture.

Prince William and Prince Harry's relationship went south when the latter decided to marry the Horrible Bosses star amid their warnings not to rush things. It worsened when Prince Harry decided to leave the UK and move to Los Angeles with his wife.

However, a new report claims that Prince Harry's past and close bond with Kate Middleton is another factor that leaves the heir to the throne seething. Apparently, when Prince William and Middleton broke up, many saw an opportunity for his brother and then-ex-girlfriend to date, given the 'natural ease' between them, and Prince William can't allegedly get over it.

'William would never admit it, but he hated the idea that Kate and Harry might have worked as a couple,' an unnamed source said, per Radar Online.

The tipster added that the Duke of Cambridge's jealousy 'wasn't romantic,' but stemmed from 'loyalty, attention, [and] the fear of being overshadowed.'

Prince Harry and Kate Middleton's 'Near-Fling'

The report claimed that Prince Harry's rumoured 'near fling' with Kate Middleton was the actual reason Prince William resented his younger brother.

'The tensions it created still echo in the present-day breakdown between the once-inseparable princes,' one source said.

Grant Harrold, King Charles' former butler, spoke about Harry and Middleton's relationship when she broke up with Prince William in 2007 in his 2005 book The Royal Butler. The former royal valet acknowledged the close relationship between Prince William's wife and brother. He also admitted that he thought Kate and Harry would start dating after the split.

'Prince Harry and Kate got on so well that I even thought that maybe Harry and she would get together," Grant wrote.

Grant claimed that Harry and Middleton were 'best friends.' And at one point, he considered Harry wanting his brother's ex-girlfriend.

'It could have been Harry and Catherine easily, I would have thought," Grant added.

Prince Harry Says Prince William and Kate Middleton Are 'A Good Match'

Despite the various speculations about Kate Middleton and Prince Harry's tight bond, the latter has been outspoken in supporting her relationship with his sibling, Prince William. In his book Spare, Harry said Middleton 'was a good match for my older brother.'

'They made each other visibly happy, and therefore I was happy too,' he wrote (via Royal Insider).

Middleton's beauty and charm undeniably captivated her brother-in-law, though. In his best man speech, Prince Harry allegedly planned to mention her 'killer legs', but his then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy disapproved of it.

According to royal correspondent Katie Nicholl in her book Harry: Life, Loss and Love, Chelsy told Harry to remove it because 'that might have embarrassed the bride,' MarieClaire reported.