Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle had a ‘frosty but polite’ relationship, expert claims
The Princess of Wales and Meghan Markle had a “frosty but polite” relationship before Megxit, a royal expert claimed.
During the Duchess of Sussex’s time as a working member of the royal family, the former Suits actress, 41, completed a handful of public engagements with her sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, 41.
Speak against OK!Royal author Tessa Dunlop – who wrote the 2022 royal biography Elizabeth & Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy – said the two women were “obviously not that close” when Meghan was still a working royal.
Summarizing the couple’s relationship, the expert said: “[It was] icy but polite’.
Although Meghan discussed her relationship with Kate during her Oprah interview in March 2021, Tessa says the public will never hear the Princess of Wales’s side of the story.
The Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex pictured during the Wimbledon final in June 2018. Royal pundit Tessa Dunlop has said the two royal wives had a ‘frosty but polite’ relationship
She explained, “Kate is a well-mannered girl, she grew up in a public school, she’ll never scoop up the dirt, she’ll never give what others want, no matter how many times you pick at the scab.”
In addition, the expert previously told the publication how Kate had spent “years in training” for her role in the royal family.
Discussing the royal wives’ different approaches to their role in the institution, Tessa said: “Kate’s values were reverence, appropriate levels of self-ownership within a system, don’t rock the boat, you make change by almost embracing the institution, the paradox , Meghan is the other way around.
“They’re totally like inverted versions of each other.”
In his biography Spare, which hit stores in January, Prince Harry claimed that Kate felt she had to “compete” with his wife.
According to Prince Harry, there were some awkward moments during the Royal Foundation Forum in 2018.
It would be the first and only royal engagement between the Dukes and Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex, and was billed as an annual event at the time.
However, Harry explains that after the event there was “controversy” about Meghan supporting #MeToo, while Kate did not.
The Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex pictured together on Christmas Day in 2018. Royal pundit Tessa Dunlop said Kate and Meghan were like ‘inverted versions of each other’
Left: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day in 2018. Right: The Prince and Princess of Wales with Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding
He details: ‘It wasn’t real. But I think it made Kate tense, pointing out to her and everyone else that she would now be compared to, and forced to compete with, Meg.’
One of the biggest causes of the breakup that has been made public is the feud over bridesmaid dresses.
There were reports that Kate and Meghan argued over bridesmaid dresses ahead of the 2018 wedding.
It was alleged that Meghan made Kate cry during an argument over the outfits.
An unnamed friend claims Kate wanted to follow “protocol” whereby the bridesmaids, including Charlotte, then three, wore tights – but Meghan disagreed.
Harry writes that following the article, the foursome met in Nottingham Cottage to discuss the story.
He writes, “Kate got things going right away by acknowledging that these newspaper stories about Meg making her cry were totally false.
“I know, Meghan, I was the one who made you cry.”
Meghan “appreciated” Kate’s apology for the situation, but asked what was being done to resolve the issue.
He writes, “Why didn’t they call that horrible woman who wrote this story and demand a retraction? Kate, flustered, didn’t answer, and Willy agreed with some very supportive-sounding evasions, but I already knew the truth.
“Nobody in the palace could call the correspondent, because that would provoke the inevitable reaction: If the story isn’t true, what’s the real story?
“What happened between the two duchesses? And that door must never be opened, because that would embarrass the future queen.’
In his book Revenge, Tom Bower claimed that unnamed sources told him that the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Sussex disagreed over the length of Princess Charlotte’s hemline and the fit of her dress.
He also claimed that Meghan’s ‘insistence’ was ‘backed up’ by bridesmaid Jessica Mulroney, adding: ‘Some would say Meghan compared Ivy [Mulroney’s daughter] favorable to Charlotte’.
The Duchess of Sussex later disagreed in her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, claiming it was the other way around and adding: “She [Kate] was upset about something, but she owned it, and she apologized. And she brought me flowers.
Meghan also said, “It wasn’t a confrontation, and I actually think it’s… I don’t think it’s fair to her to go into that in detail because she apologized.
“What was hard for me to get over was being blamed for something that not only didn’t happen to me, but happened to me.
And the people who were part of our wedding went to our communications team and said, “I know this didn’t happen.” I don’t have to tell them what really happened.’