How A Shopping Trip Changed Meghan Markle And Kate Middleton's Relationship

Ever since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepped down from their royal duties and moved to the United States, rumors about their strained relationships and dramatic encounters with the British royal family have spread like wildfire. However, one of those rumors is hardly new and has been consistent since long before the couple decided to take a break from their royal status: that Meghan and Kate Middleton don't have the best of relationships. 

A book published in August 2020, Finding Freedom by royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, recounts how the rift between the two Duchesses began, according to The Sunday Times. Most previous claims about the unproven feud between the two women have revolved around Meghan allegedly making Kate cry during bridesmaid Princess Charlotte's dress fitting, Meghan's decision to relocate with her husband away from Kate and Prince William, and Meghan's alleged mistreatment of her staff, according to Marie Claire UK. 

However, the new text gives insight into what really triggered the rift between the two duchesses.

According to Finding Freedom, while Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton "were not at war with each other," they "struggled to move past distant politeness," per an excerpt in Marie Claire UK. According to the unofficial biography, the distance between the two duchesses began when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were still only dating in 2017. 

One of the most "awkward" incidents took place when Meghan crossed paths with Kate in Kensington Palace, and the two found themselves about to go shopping on the same street. But Kate drove in the opposite direction in her own Range Rover, leaving Meghan to shop by herself. 

Kate didn't make much of an effort to "bridge the divide," authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand said. In fact, when they first met, Meghan tried to break the ice by gifting Kate a Smythson notebook and cooing over Princess Charlotte, who was just 20 months old at the time. But as the book explains, Kate and the Suits actress had "nothing in common" aside from living in the same palace. 

Meghan reportedly expected quite a different reception from Kate, assuming that the Duchess of Cambridge would offer the lowdown on how to navigate the royal ropes and welcome her into the family. "But that was not how things turned out," the authors wrote (via The Sunday Times). "Meghan was disappointed that she and Kate hadn't bonded over the position they shared, but she wasn't losing sleep over it."

The duchesses aren't the only two members of the royal family who deal with never-ending feud rumors.