Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship with Prince William and Kate Middleton seems
to have drastically changed in recent years, but who's really responsible?
Since Harry and Meghan announced their exit from the royal family in early 2020, things
between the Sussexes and the Cambridges have reportedly been rocky. A source told Us Weekly:
"[Kate and Meghan] were never that close, but the reason they're not speaking is because of the rift
between Prince Harry and Prince William. Harry and William have communicated sparingly over the
last year, but none of their communications have been friendly in quite some time."
"The relationship is space at the moment. And, you know, time heals all things, hopefully."
The source continued:
"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."
However, after Harry and Meghan welcomed their second child, Lilibet Diana, in June,
it was said that Kate did attempt to reach out. Another source told the publication:
"Kate has been reaching out to Meghan a lot more since [Lilibet] was born,
she's sending [notes and] gifts and trying to build up a relationship. The firm has
been instructing staffers to reach out more to Harry and Meghan to get them to soften a bit."
However, Kate's attempts to extend an olive branch to Meghan
may have been rejected — as the Duchess of Sussex reportedly didn't respond to her sister-in-law.
Royal expert Kinsey Schofield claims that Kate Middleton made more than one attempt to
reach out to Meghan Markle after the birth of her daughter, back in June. She says:
"Kate kind of [...] aggressively reached out to Meghan after the birth of Lili and was denied."
However, Schofield tells The List that she doesn't believe Meghan's actions were meant
to hurt Kate. Instead, she claims that Meghan may have simply had too much on
her plate at the time to respond to Kate during a turbulent time in the family. Schofield explains:
"Meghan's motives were likely not malicious. Lili was a rainbow baby and her birth was an
emotional time for the Sussexes. Some might say the gesture was too little
too late but I imagine that the Sussexes were overwhelmed and excited by baby number two."
In addition, Schofield is hopeful that Kate and Meghan,
as well as their husbands Harry and William, will eventually reconcile. She says:
"I don't know if Kate and Meghan will ever be 'friends' because their personalities
are so different [...] but I do think time heals all wounds and once William
and Harry come together, we will see their wives friendly again."
Kinsey Schofield has told The List that she has spoken with royal expert
Christopher Andersen , author of Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William,
Kate, Harry, and Meghan. After their discussion, she has come to see that both Kate Middleton and
Meghan Markle are very guarded and private when it comes to their inner circles. Schofield said:
"Christopher Andersen made a good point during our discussion and I agree with it,
Kate has maybe half a dozen people in her life that she trusts and holds
close to her. Her distance with Meghan was never personal. It is a protective
barrier she's built around herself after years of being hounded by paparazzi,
having her phone hacked by tabloids, and having every mannerism critiqued by the public."
Schofield said the same is also true of Meghan, explaining:
"We have seen Meghan's circle of friends shrink as she becomes more
protective of her family too. [...] They are focusing on their future
in America because they believe they have so much more to prove."
The past few years have been a period of growth for both the Cambridges and the Sussexes,
but many fans are still holding out hope that the group, once known as the "Fab
Four," will be able to get past their differences and lead the royal family
into the modern age. Indeed, a newly fostered connection between Kate and
Meghan could just be the first step to reconciliation — but only time will tell.
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