Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently released a joint statement in support of Kate Middleton’s healing and privacy. But the brief, 22-word message doesn’t necessarily reflect Harry’s relationship with William.

The royal family is in the media nonstop. But lately, it hasn’t been for great reasons. Just after Christmas, Kate Middleton announced that she would be taking a leave of absence from royal duties after undergoing a planned abdominal surgery.

The announcement, without further explanation, led to difficult rumors surrounding the princess’ health and marriage to Prince William. And in the midst of it all, Charles revealed a cancer diagnosis. Through everything, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have remained in the United States, and the couple recently released a joint statement wishing the best for Kate. While it seemed brief, it isn’t necessarily an indication that Harry and William don’t have a decent relationship.

Let’s backtrack a bit. Charles announced on February 5 that he had been diagnosed with cancer; the announcement came 19 days after Kate Middleton’s initial abdominal surgery on January 17. Post-surgery testing saw cancer cells present in Kate’s body. Assuming the testing came within three weeks of surgery, the royal family likely knew Kate had cancer by the time Harry came to visit. It could be a big part of the reason why Harry jumped on a plane so suddenly.

Harry only stayed for 24 hours, but he might have wanted to see his family in person and better understand their situation — and to be frank, we have no idea what’s happened between Harry and his relatives since then. But here’s what we do know: Harry and Meghan were highly disappointed with their treatment from the media when they first wed. Harry’s distaste for the media dates all the way back to Princess Diana’s treatment by the press; he’s never wanted to give them much to work with. So when Harry and Meghan released a brief, 22-word statement wishing Kate health and privacy, it doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s all they had to say about the situation. It just means that that’s all they felt the media deserved.

“We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace,” the couple said shortly after Kate’s video message was released. Harry mentioned in an interview with GMA’s Will Reeve that he felt his father’s diagnosis could bring the family back together. That seems to suggest that Harry and Meghan could, in fact, be in regular contact with William, Kate, and Charles.

Critics of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been quick to criticize their brief statement, but let’s not forget that Harry has stayed very quiet about any family grievances for nearly the past year. It’s possible that all of them are hoping to turn their relationships around. It’s important to give Harry and Meghan some grace here. While it doesn’t necessarily mean Harry and William are BFFs, Harry’s statement might just be the tip of the iceberg in terms of how much the two are communicating behind the scenes.