All families have tensions running below the surface which it often takes a shift in the dynamics, like a new marriage partner, to open up fissures that were always there but not challenged by circumstances before.
Most notably Harry’s Pluto in Scorpio is conjunct William’s Midheaven and Jupiter and trine William’s New Moon in Cancer. Used well, it can lead to fruitful co-operation over educational or charitable activities. But the tendency will be for the Pluto individual to struggle against the other for power and position. Evidently Diana brought the boys up as equals which, while laudatory in one way, was always going to cause problems with one heading for the throne and the other down the pecking order. In addition to standard sibling rivalry, there’s the whole ‘Succession’/Murdoch family who gets to be head of the firm rivalry – and oddly it’s less William being a bully and more Harry who resents not having his power.
Their relationship chart has an affectionate composite Sun Venus but that squares onto a competitive and argumentative Mars which is being set alight by tr Uranus in hard aspect from 2019 for three years ahead. Plus they have a composite Mercury square Saturn Pluto which suggests inherent communication problems – and those are being exacerbated at the moment by tr Pluto opposition the Mercury and moving to square Pluto Saturn in 2022/23/24.
Kate has a milder version of slightly similar crossovers with Harry and an oddly defensive synastry with his Venus in Libra conjunct her Saturn and his Saturn in Scorpio square her Venus.
Meghan steps into the picture already loaded with emotional baggage from her own family. Her Pluto in the 4th, relic of a controlling father and a scary childhood will have left her super-sensitive to any sense of being crowded or not being in control of her domestic set up. Marrying into the Royals in those circumstances was a definite no no. She also has her Libra Moon conjunct Saturn Jupiter and square Mars in Cancer – so she’ll be emotionally volatile and on a short-fuse when it comes to familial relations. She also has a 1st house Leo Sun which gives her a bouncy, outgoing and attention-seeking personality – with Leo being unduly sensitive not just to criticism but also to any perceived lack of applause and adoration. She will be high-maintenance emotionally and again the stiff-upper-lipped Royals are not an ideal environment for her kind of temperament.
She isn’t a good fit with William since her Mars in Cancer is conjunct his 7th house North Node and square his Mars Saturn which is a gritty interface. Her wayward 5th house Uranus opposes his steady Venus in Taurus so he will find her disruptive. Her Sun Mercury fall in his 8th so she will penetrate deeply under his skin and while that can lead to a strong connection, could also make him highly uncomfortable. And vice versa since his New Moon falls in her 12th so they will press each other’s buttons at an unconscious level. His Saturn Pluto falls in her 4th – so he won’t be felt as domestically supportive or offering a warm family welcome.
Their relationship chart does have an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction squaring Pluto Jupiter, which gave me pause for thought, when I first saw it. In different circumstances there could have been a good deal of attraction between them. And at an underlying level that could well be an issue. But the relationship chart also has a highly flammable composite Moon Mars square Uranus, so it’s not remotely a stable connection. Mars Uranus suggests two individuals who are uncompromising in their insistence of doing their thing, not in co-operating.
Again there’s that very strong Jupiter Pluto theme, which is found in power-couple charts, and gives a strong drive to succeed. It can work well as long as both are focused on a common goal. It’s a compulsive energy in a relationship and when/if it turns sour as one or other feel they are not getting what they want, they start a ruthless blame game. Plutonic relationships usually come together for a purpose – of changing both sides – and when that is accomplished the splitting up is usually long drawn out, messy and acrimonious.
Kate’s chart is surprisingly similar to William’s so her crossovers with Meghan are almost the same. In the relationship chart the composite argumentative Moon Mars is sextile the power-struggling Jupiter Pluto and square a needs-space Venus Uranus. Kate’s Cancer Moon falls in Meghan’s 12th widely conjunct her Mars – and Kate’s Full Moon squares onto Saturn Pluto which again, like William, falls in Meghan’s 4th hitting on her Pluto – so Meghan’s acute sensitivity about being controlled or crowded would be triggered.
The wedding chart with its Mars square Uranus Mercury always did hint at explosions and disruptions along the way. Plus a Water Grand Trine of Neptune Moon Jupiter which hints at the risk of unrealistic illusions.
A diluted version of this brouhaha must have played out in a good many families with as much angst for the members but less exposure. For all their emphasis on doing good works for mental health they are probably not good at conducting their own internal therapy to iron out wrinkles and triggers.