Continuing her quest to be an arbiter of peace between Prince William and Prince Harry, Kate Middleton said she hopes that she will get to meet her new niece, Lilibet Diana, sooner rather than later.
Speaking with reporters on Friday, the Duchess of Cambridge said that she wishes Harry and Meghan “all the best” as they welcome their new daughter into the world.
“I wish her all the very best. I can’t wait to meet her. I haven’t met her… I hope that happens soon,” Middleton said.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their second child, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, on June 4. In keeping with Royal Family tradition, the name derives from the childhood nickname of Queen Elizabeth II.
“On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a written statement. “Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.”
Though the Royal Family has distanced itself from Harry and Meghan since their famed tell-all Oprah interview, not even publicly acknowledging the couple’s three-year anniversary, Prince William and Kate Middleton publicly congratulated the Duke and Duchess upon Lilibet’s birth.
“We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili,” the statement said. “Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie.”
Kate Middleton’s welcoming statement regarding her new niece follows a report that she has positioned herself as peacemaker between William and Harry. In a piece for Stella Magazine, royal expert Camilla Tominey wrote that Middleton “was not overawed by drama” and even tried to be a bridge for William and Harry during the late Prince Philip’s funeral.
“Despite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Oprah Winfrey interview, when Kate was accused of making Meghan cry during a bridesmaid’s dress fitting and failing to support her, Kate rose decidedly above it all,” Tominey wrote, as reported by the Daily Mail.
“Setting aside any personal resentment she may still feel about Harry and Meghan’s televised two-hour tell-all, Kate put her best foot forward in trying to carve a path to reconciliation between the brothers,” she added.
According to Tominey, Middleton had a rather close friendship with Harry prior to the split between brothers and felt the need to put a stop to the bleeding.
“Few would have blamed her for giving Harry the cold shoulder, yet she clearly resolved that the situation needed to be appeased rather than aggravated,” wrote Tominey.
Photos at the funeral showed Prince William and Kate Middleton speaking with Prince Harry one-on-one, which likely was not planned or staged.
“I didn’t see that as being a staged thing. I thought it was entirely spontaneous and clever in making the two brothers talk to each other,” said royal biographer Christopher Wilson.