Duke of Sussex once shared an emotional bond with his sister-in-law
Long before tensions fractured their relationship, Harry once left Catherine in tears during a heartfelt moment. The revelation comes from Christopher Andersen’s book Brothers and Wives, which recounts the Duke of Sussex’s best man speech at William’s wedding.
According to the author, Harry affectionately referred to the newlyweds as “the dude and the duchess,” joked about William’s thinning hair, and even revealed the pet name “Babykins” that William used for his bride. Yet beneath the humour, his words struck a deeper chord.
“There were muffled sobs when Harry told his brother, ‘Our mother would be so very proud of you,’ and sighs when he said he loved Kate like a sister,” Andersen wrote. A separate report claimed Catherine was moved to tears when Harry admitted the couple’s romance had inspired his own outlook on love.
Guests at the celebration remembered the speech as perfectly pitched: full of jokes, warmth, and admiration. Harry reportedly called William “the ideal brother,” sprinkling his tribute with repeated cries of “What a dude,” much to the delight of the audience.
That joyful scene feels a world away now. Fourteen years later, Harry and William’s relationship is strained beyond recognition. Since Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and later moved to California, the once inseparable brothers have grown distant.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have since spoken openly about their struggles, from their interview with Oprah Winfrey to the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan and Harry’s memoir Spare, all of which laid bare the rift within the royal family.
