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“There hasn’t been this complete 180,” a source tells PEOPLE inthis week’s cover story. “Nothing has changed. They don’t speak, no one is checking in, no one is texting.”
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Meghan also revealed in the documentary that not many people have asked if she’s “okay.”
Tension between the brothers has also added to Harry’s feelings of isolation, say insiders. For Meghan, who is raising her son in a new country far from her L.A. home, the distance from both of their families is a strain.
Notably,Harry’s statement in early October attacking the British tabloid pressfor the “ruthless” treatment of his wife received no public support from the senior royal family members.
“It is a strange family and not one that has supported one another very well,” royal biographer Penny Junor previously told PEOPLE. “They don’t praise one another and never call each other up just to say, ‘That was a great speech.’”
Multiple sources told PEOPLE that strain between the brothers deepened back when Harry first told his family he wanted to marry Meghan after less than a year of dating.The insider said William — who dated Kate, his college sweetheart, for about eight years before tying the knot — cautioned Harry that things were moving too quickly, leaving Harry angry and hurt.
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A royal source emphasizes that any change in the brothers’ relationship is a result of the new chapters in their lives. “As is often the case in any family, when one of your siblings gets married, there’s always a period of readjustment,” says the source. “People have new priorities and different focuses.”
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As they head into the holiday season,Harry and Meghan are taking a rare six-week breakto regroup amid the family stress. They have also decided toskip Christmas with the royal family this yearto spend it as a new family, along with Meghan’s momDoria Ragland.
“Just on a human level, if you take everything else out of the equation, I don’t think they’re in very good shape to deal with anything right now,” says the friend. “Everyone is hoping that they will come back from this break stronger than ever, and maybe with some time out of the spotlight, they can figure out what path to take next.”
Simon Perry
source: people.com
