In the world of royalty, where glamour, wealth, and tradition reign supreme, it’s easy to assume that all is harmonious behind palace walls. However, the reality of strained relationships and hidden tensions can often surface, as was the case with Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. The once so-called Fab Four, consisting of Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle, presented a united front to the public. But beneath the surface, a bitter divide was growing, particularly between the two sisters-in-law. Let’s delve into the key moments that led to the breakdown of their relationship.
Speculation about a rift between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle began long before it became public knowledge. From the start, Meghan appeared to have trouble fitting into the Royal family, with rumours circulating that she and Kate did not see eye to eye. The tension between them was palpable during their joint appearance at the Royal Foundation Forum in February 2018. The divide deepened when the BBC named the Princess of Wales in a racism row, further straining the relationship between the Royal wives.
Five times Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton’s relationship showed cracks before falling apart
Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton’s relationship never quite developed from the polite friendship they were placed into when Prince Harry introduced his wife to be before their wedding in 2018
Meghan Markle and Princess Kate’s relationship has faced many challenges over the years, and the two royal women have reportedly failed to see eye-to-eye on a number of important issues within the Royal Family.
When the American actress joined The Firm back in 2018, many fans had high hopes for a tight bond to form between the two senior royal women. Many believed their common experience of marrying into the most famous family in the world would form the basis of a close relationship. But their seemingly vastly different personalities and approaches to life meant Kate and Meghan never really hit it off.
Royal fans had hoped the pair would get on (
REX)
Kate’s failure to foster a ‘meaningful’ friendship
Omid Scobie took aim at Kate and blamed her for failing to foster a “meaningful” relationship with Meghan in his first book Finding Freedom, which was written with the cooperation of the Sussexes.
The two duchesses never got past more than a polite friendship, and apparently Kate didn’t do much to make Meghan feel welcome. The Sussexes thought Kate didn’t help “bridge the divide” between the brothers, as she’s “fiercely loyal” to her husband and the royal family.
Meghan felt she had ‘more of a right to speak than her sister-in-law’
The Duchess of Sussex believed she was a “self-made woman” with more experience than Kate, who “hadn’t really had her own career,” a source told The Telegraph. They added: “She seemed to feel like she had more of a right to speak than her sister-in-law, who had married into the family as an unknown whereas Meghan regarded herself as a philanthropist who could teach the royals a thing or two about charity.
“I think she found it difficult that the Royal Foundation was already a well-oiled machine by the time she got there.”
Kate’s ‘grimace’
In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry recounts several times that his wife seemed at loggerheads with his sister-in-law in the early days of their romance. He says the two women had a row over bridesmaid dresses in the lead-up to his wedding that left Meghan in tears and that Kate “grimaced” when the duchess borrowed her lipgloss.
No hugging policy
Meghan also took aim at Kate during her and Harry’s Netflix docuseries. As she recalled their first meeting she said she was “surprised” by the behind-the-scenes formality of members of the royal family.
Speaking in episode two of the six-part Harry & Meghan docuseries, she said: “When Will and Kate came over, and I met her for the first time, they came over for dinner, I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot. I was a hugger. I’ve always been a hugger, I didn’t realise that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.
“I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside. There is a forward-facing way of being, and then you close the door and go ‘You can relax now’, but that formality carries over on both sides. And that was surprising to me.”
During the run up to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ royal wedding in May 2018, Harry claims Meghan brazenly told Kate she must have “baby brain because of her hormones” – and the comment wasn’t well-received.
In the book, Harry reportedly recounts how Kate was upset – but Meghan apologised and explained that is how she speaks to her friends, the Sun reported in an extract they obtained. But Harry said William “pointed a finger at Meg”, then allegedly blasted: “Well, it’s rude, Meghan. These things are not done here.”
To which Meghan responded: “If you don’t mind, keep your finger out of my face.” This remark reportedly left Meghan upset – especially as she was reportedly warned she wasn’t close enough to Kate to make a remark about her hormones.
