Kate Middleton Reportedly Didn't Even Talk To Meghan Markle During Her Entire UK Visit
When the world saw Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Catherine Middleton and Prince William step out as a foursome shortly after the queen died, fans immediately had high hopes for a royal reconciliation, both between the reportedly estranged brothers and their wives. The show of solidarity may have been just that, however — just a show. Because new reports indicate that the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex still have just as strained of a relationship as ever, if not more so following the major shakeup of "The Firm."
First, one has to wonder if there was ever a time when Kate and Meghan were chummy. It sure seemed like the women got along early on when the former actress coupled up with Harry and the two eventually said "I do" in 2018.
But the bloom was off the rose quickly when the Sussexes announced they were stepping away from their royal duties in 2020, and hightailed it across the pond.
Were Kate and Meghan ever going to be friends?
No matter how things played out, one insider claimed that a friendship between the future queen consort of England and the Duchess of Sussex was never a possibility. "They are two very different women who have always been on two totally different paths," a source told Best of Life previously. "It's now quite clear that they did what they had to do to keep up appearances, but there was nothing else beyond that between them."
And it turns out the sisters-in-law's relationship may be icier now than in the past
According to the Daily Mirror's royal editor Russell Myers, the Princess of Wales didn't say a word to Meghan Markle throughout the entire 10 day mourning period leading up the queen's televised funeral service. This seemingly included the Windsor Castle appearance that reunited the so-called "fab four" in front of a worldwide audience and sparked excitement among fans that the couples would finally put their differences behind them.
Prince William and Prince Harry may be setting the tone
Not only did Catherine Middleton allegedly not exchange a single word to her American counterpart, but the Daily Mirror further reports that the Prince and Princess of Wales didn't get together with the other royal couple at all privately before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to California on Thursday (via Page Six). It's believed that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry holed up at Frogmore Cottage in between royal engagements, while the Prince and Princess of Wales carried out a full schedule of visits with mourners.
Meanwhile, it would be difficult for Kate and Meghan to patch up their differences with husbands who are reportedly still on the outs. The main bone of contention is said to be the Duke of Sussex's forthcoming memoir, which will follow many damaging interviews and comments he and his wife have shared about the royal family in the years since they left the United Kingdom.
William and Harry are at a stalemate
While Catherine Middleton and Meghan Markle likely never saw eye-to-eye — given their different life paths and roles within the royal family — Prince William and Prince Harry are said to be at a stalemate in their relationship. Once sharing the bond of brothers that seemed to exude off the screen and page, William and Harry have not been chummy with one another in years now, and royal editor Omid Scobie weighed in on what could truly be keeping them apart. As far as the Prince of Wales is concerned, Harry behaved recklessly when airing the royal family's dirty laundry. As for the Duke of Sussex, however, William has not taken accountability for his role in the dissolving of their relationship.
"What [Harry] is waiting for is accountability... Many lines were crossed by William," a close friend to the brothers told Scobie. "He was at the centre of a number of painful moments, be it the actions of his own staff or turning his back when support was needed. It was a dark time and one that, so far, William has been unprepared to unpack." The Prince of Wales, meanwhile, it "still waiting" for an apology from his younger brother.
Will Diana Spencer's sons — and their wives — ever find common ground? That has yet to be seen, even amid family tragedy.