Why Kate Middleton Is Mortified By Meghan Markle
Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have never been the closest of sisters-in-law, if an US Weekly source is to be believed. Revealing that Kate and Meghan allegedly haven't spoken in a year, the palace insider partially blamed their drift on their respective husbands, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Although William and Harry were reportedly attempting to their own broken relations earlier in 2021, the US Weekly source said in March that things were just as frosty. "Harry and William have communicated sparingly over the last year, but none of their communications have been friendly in quite some time," the source elaborated, adding, "There is real animosity that the brothers have toward one another, and that has spilled over to Meghan and Kate's relationship, making it very hard for them to be friends or even friendly."
A week following Meghan and Harry's March 7, 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview, reports have surfaced that Kate is not just being distant, but closer to downright angry with the Duchess of Sussex. Read on for the details behind her reaction to the ex-senior royals' primetime sit-down.
Kate Middleton thought her beef with Meghan Markle was water under the bridge
In an interview with OK! Magazine (via the Daily Mail), royal expert Katie Nicholl claimed Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton was "mortified" by sister-in-law Meghan Markle's claim in her March 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview that Kate made her cry prior to her 2018 nuptials. Via Harper's Bazaar, the Duchess of Sussex's exact words were: "A few days before the wedding, she was upset about something pertaining to... flower girl dresses. And it made me cry." Meghan's revelation was itself a clarification of widespread rumors that she was the one who elicited tears from Kate amidst a fight.
Meghan did volunteer to Oprah that Kate "owned it... and she brought me flowers and a note apologizing," and added that "she did what I would do if I knew that I hurt someone, to just take accountability for it." Kate allegedly still took less-than-kindly to Meghan spilling the beans over this incident in the first place. According to Nicholl, the Duchess deemed the years-old affair settled, especially given that "Kate is not in a position to respond and Meghan and Harry know that."
According to Meghan herself — when shown a photo of her and Kate laughing at Wimbledon together — "nothing is what it looks like" in regards to the pair's relationship. Ouch — seems like things will be frigid for a while between the two duchesses.
Meghan Markle commented on Kate's wedding in 2014
The relationship between the pair has been the subject of media speculation since Meghan Markle started dating Prince Harry, but the Suits actor had thoughts on Kate Middleton beforehand. As Hello! magazine reported, comments on Meghan's blog about Kate have recently resurfaced. Years before the two met, Meghan wrote about the "endless" discussion around "Princess Kate" on her now-defunct site The Tig.
"Little girls dream of being princesses. I, for one, was all about She-Ra, Princess of Power," Meghan shared in 2014, after interviewing Libya's Princess Alia Al-Senussi. "For those of you unfamiliar with the '80s cartoon reference, She-Ra is the twin sister of He-Man, and a sword-wielding royal rebel known for her strength. We're definitely not talking about Cinderella here," she continued.
"Grown women seem to retain this childhood fantasy," the actor wrote, referring to the fervor around Britain's royal family. "Just look at the pomp and circumstance surrounding the royal wedding and endless conversation about Princess Kate." She went on to praise Al-Senuss for using her royal title to promote her philanthropic efforts at the Global Heritage Fund.
Kate Middleton recently made headlines for a totally different reason
Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton also recently divided opinion in the U.K. by appearing at a vigil in London's Clapham Common, per Insider. A 33-year-old woman named Sarah Everard was kidnapped at the start of March 2021 and the discovery of her body has sparked a national wave of grief and outrage. Despite being told it would break COVID-19 restrictions, hundreds of Londoners gathered to lay flowers at the park where Everard was last seen.
The Duchess of Cambridge was among those paying their respects. Although the vigil was reportedly calm and socially distanced during the day when Kate appeared, police controversially decided to arrest and manhandle attendees in the evening.
Not everyone was impressed by her presence, as the Express reported. One royal commentator has claimed that Kate's appearance was "deliberately designed" in order to "create an impression that she cares about these things." Although it was not a formal public engagement, Kate was recognized by other attendees since she was not wearing a mask. Pictures of her were quickly published on social media and in national newspapers.
A statement from Kensington Palace insisted that Kate attended because she "wanted to pay her respects to the family and to Sarah," and that "she remembers what it was like to walk around London at night before she was married."