Prince Harry’s private condolence note was more than just a few polite words, insiders have revealed. It was accompanied by a hidden message that shocked many. Some saw it as a “bridge of reconciliation,” while others believed it was a bitter note. The leak of the message has caused a doubly explosive public outcry, as it could expose the truth about Harry’s secret relationship with some members of the Royal Family. What was in the secret message that would make the entire Royal Family nervous if it were made public?
Prince Harry; Katharine, Duchess of Kent.Credit : Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; Dave M. Benett/Getty
Prince Harry has privately sent his condolences to Katharine, the Duchess of Kent’s family following her death, PEOPLE understands.
The Duchess of Kent, who was 92 at the time of her death, attended Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018 in one of her few public appearances in recent years.
Buckingham Palace announced on Sept. 5 that the Duchess of Kent died the previous day.
The Duchess of Kent was born Katharine Worsley before marrying Queen Elizabeth’s cousin Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, in 1961. Although she stepped back from royal duties in 1996, instead opting to teach music at a primary school as simply “Mrs. Kent” and focus on charity work, she would occasionally join the royals at events such as Trooping the Colour.
“It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent,” the statement about her death said. “Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family.”
“The King and Queen and all Members of The Royal Family join The Duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly The Duchess’s life-long devotion to all the organizations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people,” it continued.
Kate Middleton and Prince William also released a personal statement via their social media pages.
“Our thoughts today are with The Duke of Kent and his family, particularly George, Helen and Nicholas,” they wrote, referring to the late royal’s husband and their three children. “The Duchess worked tirelessly to help others and supported many causes, including through her love of music.”
“She will be a much missed member of the family,” they concluded, signing the note with their first initials of “W & C,” indicating that the message came directly from them. The message was in white text against a black background, topped with the Prince and Princess of Wales’ joint monogram.
Prince Harry, 40, is slated to arrive in the U.K. in the coming days, and he will attend the WellChild Awards on Monday, Sept. 8, continuing his longstanding support to the charity for seriously ill children and their caretakers.
There is speculation that the Duke of Sussex’s trip to his home country will include a visit with his father, King Charles. The father and son haven’t seen each other since February 2024, when Harry traveled from his California home to the U.K. after the monarch’s cancer diagnosis news amid their ongoing rift.
However, in an apparent olive branch, Prince Harry’s aides and one of the King’s key staffers met for the first time in July.
“It was a good first step,” an insider told PEOPLE at the time. “It is always better to be talking.”
