We often joke about Prince William being “incandescent with rage,” but that whole thing started in the fall of 2019, when there were genuine, concrete, not-tabloid reports that William was incandescent with rage at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s ITV documentary about their tour in Africa. Meghan teared up on-camera about the ordeal they had survived over the course of the year, and Harry was quite raw and emotional about the media and seeing history repeat itself with his wife. And William’s response was: rage. Abject, unconscionable, vehement rage. Ever since then, it’s been something of a code within a lot of royal reporting. Some reporters pass it off as “oh, William has a terrible temper, it is widely known.” But what’s bizarre is how often rage, anger and contempt are his default emotions. He was “full of rage” about his nephew’s christening, for God’s sake. Every story about William’s reaction to *anything* about the Sussexes for two years includes something about how angry he was and is. So, um… yeah, even People Mag is talking about it.

Prince William is supporting wife Kate Middleton in the wake of brother Prince Harry and sister-in-law Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey. During the couple’s sit-down, Meghan addressed reports that she made Kate cry over a disagreement regarding bridesmaid dresses for Meghan and Harry’s wedding.

“The reverse happened,” Meghan told Oprah, revealing that Meghan was the one who cried. (A source told PEOPLE that both women were in tears over the incident.)

“William is very protective of Kate and can get very angry,” says Penny Junor, a respected biographer of both Prince William and Prince Harry, tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “For Meghan to name Kate in a negative light is worse than being attacked himself.”

In the interview, Meghan, 39, clarified that Kate, 39, later apologized.

“And I don’t say that to be disparaging to anyone, because it was a really hard week of the wedding, and she was upset about something,” Meghan said. “But she owned it, and she apologized and she brought me flowers and a note apologizing.”

[From People]

I simply don’t get it. Why u mad bro? Is he big mad that his insipid wife was outed as a Mean Girl? Is he engorged with rage that his 28-month campaign to smear his sister-in-law blew up in his face? And why is it necessary for royal reporters – many of whom are being briefed by Mr. Incandescent himself – to lead every story with his anger? Are those reporters purposefully taking a swipe at him? Or are we, the peasants, supposed to be frightened of Workshy Willy’s wrath? What is the actual subtext of all of this? Incidentally, somebody briefed Entertainment Tonight as well, only they didn’t use the words “angry” or “rage.”

Now a source tells ET that Prince William is “deeply distressed with Harry and Meghan’s decision to share private family conversations” with King. ET has also learned that Harry and Meghan had hoped that discussions with the royal family would lead to the beginning of a process of healing.

The source also adds that in the wake of the Winfrey interview William is “fiercely protective” of Kate and was “unhappy” with Meghan’s decisions to draw Kate into the interview.

[From ET]

He “was ‘unhappy’ with Meghan’s decisions to draw Kate into the interview.” Unlike the absolute mountain of press clippings where the Keenbridges gleefully dragged Meghan into every conversation. Remember that, Will? Remember when you were caught with your pants around your ankles in the middle of some rose bushes? You were happy to draw Meghan into your obvious little scheme to distract from Rose Hanbury. William’s wife is always happy to drag Meghan into all of her preening keenness too. But when Meghan corrects one stupid story about Kate being a Karen, suddenly all hell breaks loose and William is punching walls.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.