In a heartening public appearance, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, looked radiant as she attended the Wimbledon final, marking her second public engagement since announcing her cancer diagnosis. The nation watched in admiration as the Patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club entered Centre Court alongside her daughter, Princess Charlotte, and sister, Pippa Middleton, receiving a standing ovation from the appreciative crowd. But among the thousands of spectators, none were more interested than Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who, heat can reveal, are eager to mend their strained relationship with the Princess and the rest of the royal family.

An insider close to the couple revealed that seeing Kate at Wimbledon, amidst her ongoing preventative chemotherapy treatment, has spurred the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to take serious steps toward reconciliation.

“Harry was watching Wimbledon and was thrilled to see Kate looking so radiant,” says our source. “He sent her a note to congratulate her and let her know how happy he was to see her out. He’s just so grateful that she’s on the mend and able to get back to her duties after taking time off – as is Meghan. Harry is convinced this is the perfect chance to try to repair his relationship with Kate and his brother, and Meghan is being supportive. Even though it’s an awkward situation for all of them, they both think the sooner they can put this all behind them, the better.”

Harry is reportedly hopeful that a gesture from Meghan could be the key to healing the rift. “It’s a sensitive subject because Harry doesn’t want to order Meghan to do anything,” the source explains, “but the situation with his family has reached the point where he feels like the only way back is to have Meghan reach out to Kate to try to mend fences. He’s gone over so many different scenarios in his head, but he’s reached a dead end. The only thing that’s left is for Meghan to have a go at fixing things.”

Harry believes that if Meghan reaches out to Kate and apologizes for how far things have gone, it could demonstrate to both her and Prince William that the Sussexes are serious about reconciliation. “It’s all about being the bigger person and making that first call, and Meghan has reluctantly agreed to it if that’s what Harry wants. Right now, they’re figuring out the best way to go about it, but Harry’s hoping she’ll be able to have some one-on-one calls with Kate – and Charles, too. He feels that his family may put on this hardline front of wanting nothing to do with Meghan, but if she makes the effort, he reckons they’ll be less hostile towards her, especially if she shows them how compassionate and caring she can be.”

The source further shares, “Things can’t go on like this – Meghan has said that she doesn’t want this rift to go on for the rest of their lives, so if it’s she who needs to make the first move, she’s willing to do that for Harry’s sake and their children’s.”

Kate’s outing to Wimbledon was her first solo engagement of the year. Wearing a stunning purple dress by Safiyaa London Cecilia, she beamed as she watched the men’s singles final in the Royal Box before presenting the trophies to winner Carlos Alcaraz and runner-up Novak Djokovic. “Great to be back at Wimbledon!” she shared on Instagram, adding, “There’s nothing quite like The Championships.”

This appearance came just weeks after Kate attended Trooping the Colour in June alongside William, 42, and their three children: Prince George, ten, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six. Kate had stepped out of the public eye seven months ago after undergoing routine abdominal surgery. Then, in March, following intense speculation, she revealed that further tests had detected cancer. At the time, she reassured the public that she was “well and getting stronger every day,” but asked for “time, space and privacy” to focus on making a “full recovery.”

In a statement last month, Kate updated her fans on her progress, saying she was making “good progress,” but had “good days and bad days.” She also expressed her intention to attend “a few public engagements over the summer,” while acknowledging that she wasn’t “out of the woods yet.” She added, “I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much-needed time to heal.”

Despite both Kate and King Charles’ cancer battles, the tension between Harry and his family has persisted since he and Meghan, 42, stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California, where they now reside with their children, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three. The rift was exacerbated when Harry made a series of explosive claims about William and Kate in his controversial memoir, Spare.

In the book, Harry alleged that his brother physically attacked him, ripping his necklace and pushing him to the floor. He also recounted a moment when Kate allegedly “grimaced” when Meghan asked to use her lip gloss, and that she made Meghan cry before her wedding following a disagreement about Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress.

Relations soured further last year when Kate and King Charles were named in Omid Scobie’s Endgame as the senior royals who were alleged to have had a conversation regarding Archie’s skin color before his birth.

But despite all that has transpired, Harry is now determined to move past the grievances and has even set a deadline for reconciling with his family. He aims to mend relations by his 40th birthday in September. Our insider says, “Harry would love to be on better terms in time for his birthday, or at least by the end of this year. He’s just not willing to accept that he’ll never be close to his family again, and he’s convinced that if he and Meghan keep chipping away, they can work their way out of this mess,” we’re told.

“Meghan is backing him all the way; she hates to see him suffer like this. When Harry goes back to the UK for his birthday, he’s determined to see Kate face-to-face – he wants to make sure she knows how relieved he and Meghan are that she’s doing better and well on the road to recovery. He would be thrilled if William would see him, too, but for now, his focus is on Kate, since she’s been much more receptive.”

The source continues, “He knows how stubborn his brother can be, which is why he’s set his sights on him and Meghan building this bridge with Kate first. Often, she’s also the only one who can get through to William when he’s got his mind made up over something. Harry’s hope is that she’ll work on softening his brother. It’s much more than just a play to get William back in his life, though – he truly misses Kate; she’s always been like a sister, and he still loves her dearly.”

“The thought of her battling cancer and what the outcome could have been chills him to the bone and was a huge wake-up call. It made him realize just how crucial it is not to let this fester for any longer.”

As Kate continues her journey towards recovery and Harry and Meghan navigate the delicate path of reconciliation, the world watches with bated breath. Could this be the moment that finally sees the royal family mending their fractured ties? Only time will tell, but for now, the prospect of a royal reunion seems more promising than ever.