“Tension and Distance” The Strained Relationship Between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle
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The relationship between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle has always been distant, with reports suggesting a notably cold dynamic. Prince Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” offers insights into the occasional tension between Markle and Middleton.
One incident during the 2018 Royal Foundation Forum, highlighted by Yahoo, underscores the awkwardness between the sisters-in-law. Markle, having forgotten her lip gloss, asked to borrow Middleton’s, leading to a moment of discomfort before they took the stage with Harry and Prince William.
Describing the moment, Harry wrote, “Meg asked to borrow Kate’s lip gloss. An American thing. Meg forgot hers, worried she needed some, and turned to Kate for help.” According to the Mirror, he further detailed Middleton’s reaction, stating, “Kate, taken aback, went into her handbag and reluctantly pulled out a small tube.
Meg squeezed some onto her finger and applied it to her lips. Kate grimaced. Small clash of styles, maybe? Something we should’ve been able to laugh about soon after. But it left a little mark.” Harry noted that the media sensed it was more significant.
Harry also suggested that Middleton might have felt uncomfortable because Markle’s entrance into the royal family introduced new competition. Another part of “Spare” addresses the controversy involving bridesmaid dresses before Harry and Markle’s wedding. After getting engaged, Markle was measured for her dress only four days before the wedding.
Harry explained that Middleton insisted the dress needed to be completely restitched, while Markle believed her tailor could make adjustments. This disagreement added to the tension between the two women. Before meeting Markle, Harry had envisioned forming a “fab 4” with his brother, Middleton, and his future partner.
As reported by Page Six, he wrote, “I also said I couldn’t wait for them to meet her, that I looked forward to the four of us spending lots of time together.” Harry expressed his desire for a partner who would be an equal participant in their joint ventures with William and the Waleses. However, Harry asserts that William tempered his aspirations, reportedly saying, “She’s an American actress, after all, Harold. Anything might happen.”
Royal fans hoping for reconciliation may need to temper their expectations. Royal expert Tom Quinn suggested that the relationship between Markle and Middleton has become too “poisonous” to heal. In April, Quinn noted, “Meghan doesn’t feel guilty about Kate because she feels that Kate should’ve been the one person in the royal family to back her against every difficulty. Apart from anything else, Meghan knew Kate was an outsider, so she just couldn’t understand why Kate always towed the royal line rather than supporting her, Meghan, the other outsider,” according to InStyle.
