With their dedication to service and desire to volunteer to make a difference for others, on paper, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle looked like they would be the best of friends. Visions of Princess Diana and the Duchess of York came to mind when the two women were together, as it appeared, initially, that they would be thick as thieves.
The two women likely tried their best to form a relationship given how much time they would be spending together. But with the first meeting between the two being a bit awkward and the press doing their best to pit the then-senior royals against one another, forging a bond became difficult. And the more time that went by with more reports coming out of the palace that things were less than copasetic between the Duchesses of Wales and Sussex, the more strain was placed on the relationship.
It was not until Prince Harry and Meghan decided to step down as senior royals that whatever effort had been put into the friendship abruptly came to a halt. Couple that with the tell-all the now-California royals had with Oprah, and the damage had been done. It was clear that even a civil relationship would be too much to ask. And perhaps, any strides that were made in the past to become close were done in vain.
Here is why Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton's relationship may never have stood a chance.
The First Interaction Between Kate Middleton And Meghan Markle Was "Jarring"
Until the Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan was released, there was very little known about the first interaction between the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex. The public was told that the meeting was "brief" but was a "success."
However, that was not the extent of all that happened. Instead, when the two women first met, Meghan describes the interaction as "jarring." This is because the now-mother-of-two said she did not realize that the "formality" that the royals have in public carries over into private life as well.
As such, when Meghan gave the princess a hug, it came as a surprise to Kate. This was because it was not the formality that the British royal family practices. And that in addition to Meghan wearing casual clothes, complete with ripped jeans, may have gotten the two ladies off on the wrong foot with their relationship.
Meghan Markle And Kate Middleton Come From Two Very Different Worlds
Kate and Meghan may speak the same language, but they come from "two totally different worlds." And because of this, it was likely hard to find many commonalities early on.
America and England have always had a strong relationship with one another. But, the way that societies work is very different. Especially for those who associate with the royal family. As such, for Meghan to fit in, she would have to learn how to navigate life in a brand-new way. A way that would be foreign to anything ever encountered before.
These differences may not sound like much. But with Kate "setting the bar high" for how the wife of a prince should behave, there was apparently a lot of pressure on Meghan. And with Meghan choosing her own path rather than "following in Kate's footsteps," being more than just civil sisters-in-law may never have been in the cards.
There Was Potential For A Friendship To Form
As Meghan was learning the ropes of what it meant to be in The Firm, Kate was pregnant at the time with Prince Louis. It was during this time that the two women were able to rely a bit on one another. And it appeared from both those inside and outside the royal circle that there was a potential for a friendship to form.
In an attempt to help make the transition into royal life as easy as possible, Kate would have Meghan come by for a cup of tea. It was during that time that Kate would "give advice about adapting to the royal family."
Meghan in turn would bring over "delicious treats" to Kate and even offer up some "maternity style pointers" she had seen that the duchess believed the princess would like.
With this much kindness going around, it appeared that these two women from different backgrounds could make a real go of a friendship.
But with constant rumors flying and the relationship to completely change in the future when Prince Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties, a true friendship never had the opportunity to get off the ground.
When It Became Clear That The Duchess And Princess Would Never Have More Than A Civil Relationship
By all accounts, after Prince Harry and Meghan married, the relationship between Meghan and Kate "never progressed" from where it was when Meghan was simply the "girlfriend."
As such, as the tabloid stories became more hurtful when they wrote about Meghan and the palace refused to refute the ones that were apparently completely untrue, the relationship began to decline.
It was not uncommon for the royal family to routinely not respond to stories that the press, or more specifically, the tabloids would write about them. This reportedly felt very unnatural for Meghan. However, she says she went along with what she was told to do.
When stories ran that Meghan made Kate cry in the days leading up to Meghan and Harry's wedding, Meghan claimed that she was in shock. After all, the opposite of what was reported was what occurred.
But when the "monarchy prevented her from clearing the air," the duchess said she realized how polarizing her position had become.
And that the relationship between herself and Kate would never be anything more than civil.
Meghan explained, "I would hope that [Kate] would have wanted that corrected, and maybe in the same way that the palace wouldn't let anybody else negate it, they wouldn't let her, because she's a good person."
It was clear that the duchess was hurt by what had transpired, however.
"I would have never wanted that to come out about her ever, even though it had happened," Meghan stated. "I protected that from ever being out in the world."
Even after Meghan made this statement during her interview with Oprah, the royal family refused to put out a statement. As such, there will always be two sides to the story. But there will likely never be anything more between the Duchess of Sussex and the Princess of Wales other than a civil relationship. And with in-laws, sometimes that is the best that can be asked for.