Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have just made things worse with Prince William and Kate Middleton.

On Wednesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they would be taking a "step back" from royal duties after returning from their six-week hiatus. While the news seemed to catch the royal family off guard, it's the timing of it that has dug them into a deeper hole with the Cambridge's.

"Harry and Meghan rubbed salt into the wounds by making the huge announcement a day before Kate’s birthday," a source dished to Us Weekly. "It hasn’t gone down well with William."

Despite the unfortunate timing, the Sussex's wished Kate, who turned 38-years-old on Jan. 9, a happy birthday on Kensington Royal's Instagram.

"Wishing a very happy birthday to The Duchess of Cambridge today," they commented on the photo of the Duchess, along with the birthday cake and red heart emojis.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on

In a lengthy Instagram post, Meghan and Harry detailed their reasoning behind the decision to "step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family."

"After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution," the caption began. "We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen."

"It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages."

Read the full post below.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.” - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex For more information, please visit sussexroyal.com (link in bio) Image © PA

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on

Rumours that all was not well with the Sussexes surfaced in October when Harry, sixth in line to the throne, admitted that he and William were "on different paths" and had good and bad days in their relationship
Rumours that all was not well with the Sussexes surfaced in October when Harry, sixth in line to the throne, admitted that he and William were "on different paths" and had good and bad days in their relationship AFP / Paul ELLIS
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