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“When you do discover that your sister-in-law has cancer and you’ve written stuff that can’t be retracted, that’s quite a painful place to be in,” royal expert Tessa Dunlop said, as reported by US Weekly. Dunlop made these comments while discussing her book Elizabeth & Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy. She also mentioned that the criticisms Harry and Markle directed at the royal family have not aged well. In February, when King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer, Harry visited his father briefly. Additionally, the couple issued a statement shortly after Middleton’s cancer diagnosis in March. Markle and Harry’s statement for Middleton read, “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”

However, Dunlop cautioned that the couple will need to be cautious about anything they publish in the future. She said, “They deliberately criticize the monarchy [and then offer] themselves as an alternative to monarchy. So then when the monarchy is in trouble, we do kind of make a comparison. Can Harry and Meghan really hold themselves off as the caring example now? They’re certainly going to have to be careful of their timing with any releases so that it doesn’t look opportunistic.”

Another royal expert suggested that Harry is filled with remorse following the dramatic collapse of his relationship with the Princess of Wales. Allegedly, Harry had previously expressed that Middleton was just like the sister he never had, and now, given her diagnosis, he wishes he could go back in time. Royal biographer Duncan Larcombe said, “Bombshell news like Kate’s puts things into perspective and Harry isn’t immune from being filled with regrets and what-ifs. Kate was like the sister Harry never had and he is probably full of regret at how his relationship with her and William has collapsed so spectacularly.”

Meanwhile, Middleton announced her cancer diagnosis on March 22, following her hospitalization for surgery two months earlier. In a video, she said, “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was noncancerous. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present.” According to a source, Middleton received her diagnosis in February, and she and William have been discussing the news with their children. Additionally, an insider also claimed, “Kate feels that Harry’s actions are atrocious. She is appalled at him for dragging her name through the dirt and is finding it hard to forgive.”