Staying out of it. Kate Middleton and Prince William’s reaction to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Oprah interview has been to avoid their “soap opera” drama altogether, a source tells Page Six. Even so, the Duke of Cambridge is still assumed to feel “desperately sad” about the situation.

Prince William, 38, and Kate, 39, have tried to remain “surrounded by goodness” ahead of the Sussexes’ tell-all interview, “Oprah With Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special,” which is set to air on Sunday, March 7. “William and Catherine could not be more discreet, they don’t want to get involved in this public bitch fest, but I am sure that William is desperately sad about all this,” a royal source explained to The New York Post’s Page Six on Thursday, March 4. The insider added, “They don’t wish to elevate this soap opera.”

The paper previously reported that Oprah’s interview with Meghan, 39, and Prince Harry, 36, posed a “cause for concern” for the royal household. A source spoke to the site shortly following CBS’ announcement, which came a day after the Sussexes revealed Meghan is pregnant with her second child. The “interview has been an open secret at the palace for months,” the insider explained at the time, yet royal officials worried about its “potential to turn explosive”—not unlike Princess Diana’s infamous 1995 interview with Martin Bashir on the BBC, in which she disclosed details about her troubled marriage to Prince Charles.

As the Oprah tell-all approaches, it seems royals are not off base in expecting some bombshell revelations from Meghan and Harry. In a preview for the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes’ interview, Meghan explains why she and her husband have decided to break their silence following their royal exit in 2020. “I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us,” she said in the promo, which was released on March 4. “And if that comes with risk of losing things, there is a lot that has been lost already.”

The preview clip came just days after British paper The Times published an explosive report claiming that one of Meghan’s former royal staffers filed a formal bullying complaint against her in 2018. A rep for the Duchess of Sussex hit back at the allegations, echoing Meghan’s statement about Buckingham Palace’s role in spreading “falsehoods” about her and her husband.

“Let’s just call this what it is — a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation,” the statement, which was issued to Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie, began. “We are disappointed to see this defamatory portrayal of The Duchess of Sussex given credibility by a media outlet. It’s no coincidence that distorted several-year-old accusations aimed at undermining The Duchess are being briefed to the British media shortly before she and The Duke are due to speak openly and honestly about their experience of recent years.”

It continued: “The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma. She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good.”

Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special airs March 7 on CBS.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.