Truth behind those awkward ‘mum’s day out’ pictures of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle at the polo

Kate Middleton, once the supportive wife, can often be found cheering on Prince William as he enters the polo field.

And later today, the Princess of Wales, 41, supports the Prince, 41, as he takes part in the Out-Sourcing Inc. Royal Charity Polo Cup 2023 at Guards Polo Club.

It’s likely a far cry from the charity match the couple attended in 2019, when the royal mother-of-three was joined by Meghan Markle, 41, to watch William and Prince Harry, 38, play together on a ‘mother’s day’. out’.

At the time, relations between the princes’ wives were said to have been fraught from the start of Meghan’s entry into the monarchy.

It is now believed that it was an attempt to put up a united front after months of disagreements between the two couples – including an argument over bridesmaid dresses and reported tension over Meghan’s behavior towards staff.

During the performance, which took place months before Megxit, Kate and Meghan were barely seen interacting – although Prince Louis made the women laugh at one point

The Duchess and Princess made a surprise appearance to watch Prince William and Prince Harry go head to head at the King Power Royal Charity Polo Day, held in honor of late Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha on July 10, 2019.

It was the first time the Sussexes and then-Cambridges had been seen as families together since Archie was born.

It was also a rare joint appearance by Meghan and Kate, who are typically only seen together at official engagements attended by the entire royal family, such as Trooping the Colour.

At the time, there had been rumors of a breakup between the two couples for months.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had recently split from the charity of Wales and their joint Royal Foundation.

It later turned out that they had taken one of the most prominent assistants with them.

Meanwhile, in his memoir Spare, Harry later outlined how the two women had also suffered tensions over lip gloss at the royal summit in 2018, as well as rowing over bridesmaid dresses for the royal wedding.

According to Harry, the group had tried to quell their differences at a meeting in June, when Kate told Meghan she was hurt, saying she had a “baby brain.”

Speculation about a feud between the then Cambridge and Sussexes began to grow after the announcement that Harry and Meghan would be moving from Kensington Palace to Frogmore Cottage.

A source told Vanity Fair that “Kate and Meghan are very different people and don’t have much in common, but they’ve tried their best to get along.”

Reports also emerged that Meghan was “very sensitive” about being “number two” to Kate.

Royal author Tom Quinn claimed that during her time at the Firm, Meghan rowed with Kensington Palace staff to “get the attention she deserved.”

And according to the authors of Finding Freedom, the standoffish episode during a charity polo match was a snapshot of Meghan and Kate’s “cordial yet detached rapport.”

According to the explosive biography, their relationship reportedly struggled to get past the distant civility of when they first met.

“As the loving mothers were photographed side-by-side with their children, the two appeared to barely exchange a word,” the authors wrote.

In photos from the event, Meghan, standing at a distance from Kate and her family, cradled her newborn son and planted a tender kiss on his head.

Going head to head: William, left, and Harry, right, played on opposing teams for the charity polo match in Surrey

Army green dream: The Duchess of Sussex dressed in a £545 khaki maxi dress from Lisa Marie Fernandez for the outing

There he is! A glimpse of Archie’s face was seen on the left. Right, Prince Louis makes Kate and Meghan giggle with his antics

Proud Dad: Sweaty Prince Harry gave his son a loving pet as he came off the pitch after a confrontation with Wills

Small handful! The princess could be seen holding one-year-old son Louis, left. Right, flashing a smile

Meanwhile, the princess spent much of the game entertaining her three children, who ran across the field chasing a soccer ball.

Despite standing close together for part of the match, the women hardly seemed to interact.

One moment, which seemed to break the ice between the two, the women giggled as then-year-old Louis donned his mother’s sunglasses before turning back to his aunt to cheekily stick out his tongue.

After the match, the proud father Prince Harry walked over to his wife and gave his son a loving pat – be careful not to hug him too closely while he was still sweaty from the match.

Meanwhile, Kate was also busy keeping an eye on her three children.

One-year-old Louis was seen running around his mother as he staggered across the grass before being swept into her arms to wave to his father.

Meanwhile, the playful Prince George kept his sister, Charlotte, entertained and could be seen picking up a polo mallet.

Time for a snack! The Duchess of Cambridge appeared to be enjoying a picnic with her children after the polo match

Keeping up with her big brother! Charlotte joined a game of kickabout, left. Right, the princess with five-year-old George

Dressed in a navy blue polo shirt and green shorts, he also wore the blue buckled shoes her children are known for.

All eyes were on the young Prince Louis as he hobbled around excitedly on the grass and Kate regularly took him in her arms.

It later appeared that the family was having a picnic from the trunk of the car when George and Charlotte jumped in the back and brought out food for their mother.

Today will probably be a quieter performance from the princess, who joined William for his father’s Scottish coronation in Edinburgh yesterday.

Meanwhile, she attended Wimbledon earlier this week for a special ceremony honoring her close friend Roger Federer.