Kate Middleton’s uncle reveals he’s ‘very disappointed’ with Meghan and Harry for royal withdrawal

Kate Middleton's uncle has spoken out against Meghan and Harry for Royal Family withdrawal

Kate Middleton’s uncle, Gary Goldsmith (Photo by UK Press Pool/UK Press via Getty Images)
(Image credit: UK Press Pool/UK Press via Getty Images)

Kate Middleton's uncle has condemned Prince Harry and Meghan Markle following their Royal Family exit, accusing the couple of letting down the nation with their highly-watched Oprah interview. 


Gary Goldsmith revealed he is "very disappointed" with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for stepping back as senior royals, before lambasting their decision to discuss the matter publicly with Oprah in March. 

In an interview with Australia's 60 minutes, the younger brother of Carole Middleton spoke candidly about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's controversial withdrawal from the Royal Family. 

Meghan and Harry gave up their positions as senior royals last year, shortly before emigrating to the US with their son, Archie, to pursue independent projects. 

The Duchess gave up a promising acting career when she married Prince Harry in 2018 and signed up for the job of being a full-time royal. Meghan Markle's Suits role came to an end in 2017, after seven seasons of playing Rachel Zane on the hit legal show. 

The decision to quit her sparkling television gig and embrace a new life as a Duchess with her husband didn't exactly go to plan though. The couple eventually left their Windsor home of Frogmore Cottage in January 2020 to move to California, where they now reside in a $14 million Santa Barbara mansion. The departure hasn't been received too kindly by certain relatives—most notably, Kate Middleton's uncle. 

After admitting he's "embarrassed" by his previous comments calling the couple 'muppets', Gary shared his sad feelings on the alleged split. 

"I'm very disappointed with them and I think there's a whole nation that's massively disappointed," he told reporter Tom Steinfort. 

Gary went on to clarify his support for Harry, while also criticizing his handling of the dispute. 

"We all love Harry," he said. "The world loves Harry, but you don't do what they did, and go on Oprah and talk like that. It's just not the way the world works." 

When asked about Meghan's allegations that Kate made her cry over flower girl arrangements during wedding preparations, Gary jumped to his niece's defense. 

Harry and Meghan

Kate Middleton's uncle has dismissed Meghan Markle's claims that the Duchess of Cambridge made her cry 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"I don't believe a word of it if I'm honest," he said. "That is not the Kate I've ever known.

"Kate would always be the peacemaker in any of those situations. I think we saw at the funeral [of Prince Philip] that she's trying to make peace." 

The Duchess of Cambridge was reportedly instrumental in helping Prince William and Prince Harry reconcile at their grandfather's funeral in April. Tensions between the brothers were at an all-time in the immediate aftermath of Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah, in which the couple made several complaints against the Royal Family, including allegations of racism. The Duchess of Sussex revealed that she heard concerns over the color of Archie's skin before his birth—a statement that left Oprah momentarily dumbfounded. 

Gary wasn't convinced by many of the claims made in the CBS special, taking particular issue with the story that Kate reduced Meghan to tears.  

"There were a lot of things in that interview I didn't believe and that was one of them," he said. 

The millionaire businessman did, however, admit that he believes the media coverage of Meghan has positively affected Kate's public persona. When questioned if the Duchess of Sussex's "controversy" has made his niece "look even better", Gary emphatically replied, "Yes." 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.