Prince William is reportedly irritated with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for being unable to keep a “fairly simple wish” for Kate Middleton.

Friends of Prince William and Kate Middleton have claimed the Prince of Wales is very “irritated” with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle over their choice to call his wife ‘Kate’ instead of ‘Catherine’, per Daily Beast. Britain's Prince William, second left, Kate, Princess of Wales, left, Britain's Prince Harry, second right, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex view the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England on Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)(AP)

Prince William took offence when Harry and Meghan referred to his wife as ‘Kate’ in a public statement wishing her well after she revealed her illness in March 2024: “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”

William’s old pal suggests that the use of ‘Kate’ rather than ‘Catherine’ was perceived as a deliberate “fact that Harry and Meghan were unable to bring themselves to use her chosen name, even when they were sending her get-well-soon messages after her cancer diagnosis, was noted.”

“William takes offense at people calling Catherine ‘Kate,’ because she has asked to be known as Catherine. It’s a fairly simple wish to respect. I’m sure Meghan wouldn’t like it if William started publicly calling her ‘Meghan Markle,’” the friend told Daily Beast.

Why exactly Kate Middleton prefers to be called Catherine

Kate has long preferred to be called Catherine, a name used by her close friends, family, and Prince William himself. Although she was widely known as Kate during her school and university years, she made a conscious decision to switch to her full name, Catherine, before her marriage to William. This preference has been respected by those close to her, and she introduces herself as Catherine in official and social settings. However, media outlets, particularly in the United States, continue to refer to her as Kate Middleton.

The friend elaborated on William’s reaction, saying, “Of course it’s an utterly trivial thing, but those of us who know William know that it is one of the things that pushes his buttons. Pushing his buttons while he was going through his wife’s cancer seemed an entirely unnecessary and deliberate irritation. I wonder if the private card began, ‘Dear Kate…’”

Another friend close to the Waleses weighed in on the matter, “No one’s saying it’s responsible for all the trouble, but deliberately calling someone by a name they don’t like is just bloody rude. If Harry and Meghan were serious about healing their issue, a good first step would be to call her Catherine.”

Another close pal of William told the UK Sunday Times that the brothers’ rift is “dreadfully sad,” with royal author Christopher Andersen hoping William will eventually extend an olive branch to Harry.

“Despite all the bad blood between the brothers, I’m convinced that, when the time does come, William will not be foolish enough to exclude his only sibling, now fifth in line to the throne, from his coronation,” Andersen told Fox News Digital.