Some celebrity families are fun to watch and pay attention to. Maybe they have their own reality TV show and are always in some sort of drama. Perhaps the family always seems to have the best time. Sometimes, the drama is real and it's too juicy to look away, and other times, the drama seems to build over time and the media plays into it and analyzes everything they do. That seems to be the case of the tension and drama between royal family members and sisters-in-law, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.
So much has changed over the past few years in the royal family, and as one of the most popular dynasties in the world, all eyes are on them. Everyone watched as Prince William fell in love and wooed Kate Middleton. The public hangs on to every moment of their engagement, wedding, and as they grew their family. The public loved Kate, who married into the family, so when Prince Harry went public with his relationship with Meghan Markle — an American actress — all eyes were on them. Meghan had the baggage of not only being compared to Prince Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, but also her sister-in-law Kate.
The tension between the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Sussex seemed to start right away, when it became clear that Prince Harry was serious about Meghan. Instead of the two taking the time to get to know each other, and find commonalities, it seems the tension just continued to grow. The media didn't make it easier on them, but as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle started to separate themselves from the royal family, the tension between the royal sisters-in-law grew even stronger.
Read on for the full timeline of the tension between the duchesses. While the chances of these two publicly taking about the rift in their relationship is slim to none — and we will likely never really know what happened between the two — we can get a good sense of it all through the reports and headlines that have dominated the news cycle.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Early 2017: First Meeting
It was reported that in early 2017, Prince Harry introduced his then girlfriend, Meghan Markle, to Kate Middleton. Us Weekly reported that on January 10, Meghan went to Kensington Palace and met with Kate and Princess Charlotte for the first time. She had allegedly met with Prince William two months earlier, but Meg's meeting with Kate reportedly "went well."
Crossing Paths
Meghan Markle would reportedly go to Kensington Palace while she was still dating Harry when she was on breaks from filming her TV show, Suits. In the new book, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Family, the royal reporters said there was an "awkward moment" early that year when they crossed paths.
"Although both were heading out to go shopping — in the same street — Kate went in her own Range Rover," the book claims.
Early Warning
According to the book Royals at War, the authors allege Kate had one time in 2017 pulled Harry to speak to him privately about his relationship with Meghan. According to the authors of the book, Andy Tillett and Dylan Howard, she was worried about the speed of his relationship with the actress.
"She gently reminded him that he was dating someone with a completely different life, past, and career and it would take time, care and attention for them to integrate," according to the authors.
March 2017: Spending the Day With Kate
In March 2017, Harry brought Meghan along with him to Norfolk to spend a day with Kate and William with the purpose of them all being able to get to know each other. It was reported in March 2018, when a source said that Meghan was feeling nervous about getting along with her soon-to-be sister-in-law. "It was the first time they all sat down and had lunch together," the source told Us Weekly at the time. "Meghan and Kate were able to properly get to know each other."
Apparently, at that time, "Meghan was welcomed with open arms," the source reported.
November 2017: Meghan Markle & Prince Harry's Engagement
In November 2017, news went around the world that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got engaged. We're not sure if it was because they were genuinely happy, but we do know the optics would have looked bad had they not, but Prince William and Kate Middleton release a statement on the engagement. "We are very excited for Harry and Meghan," the statement read in a tweet. "It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together."
Kate Personally Talks About the Engagement
There is no mistaking that the media wanted to know if the two soon-to-be sisters-in-law were getting along with each other, so everyone wanted to know Kate's opinion. The day following the news that Prince Harry and Meghan were engaged, Kate Middleton told reporters that she was thrilled. "William and I are absolutely thrilled," she said at the time. "It's such exciting news. It's a really happy time for any couple, and we wish them all the best and hope they enjoy this happy moment."
December 2017: First Photograph Together
In December 2017, Meghan and Kate were photographed together in public for the first time. (Meghan joined the royal family for Christmas at Sandringham.) At the time, Prince Harry told BBC Radio 4's Today that she had a "fantastic" time. The photographs went viral, and it looked like these two were going to be a powerhouse squad of four.
... But the Meeting Wasn't Great
All the photographs looked great, and it really seemed like these two were going to be great friends, but the photos may have been misleading. According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, who spoke to Vanity Fair, Prince Harry was upset the family wasn't more welcoming. "Harry felt William wasn't rolling out the red carpet for Meghan and told him so," a source said to the publication. "They had a bit of a fall out which was only resolved when [Prince] Charles stepped in and asked William to make an effort. That's when the Cambridges invited the Sussexes to spend Christmas with them."
Meghan Accused of Yelling at Kate's Staff
In the book Kensington Palace: An Intimate Memoir From Queen Mary To Meghan Markle, Kate and Meg reportedly had a "tipping point" in their relationship … apparently because Meghan yelled at one of Kate's staff members.
The Daily Mail published an excerpt from the book which read:
"Kate was horrified when Meghan shouted at a member of Kate's staff — that was definitely the beginning of discussions about leaving Kensington Palace. Like many people not used to dealing with servants, Meghan overdoes the imperiousness; so on the one hand she wants to be like Diana, a people's princess, and on the other she wants people to stand to attention when she clicks her fingers."
March 2018: Kate Skips Meghan's Bridal Shower
Kate, who was pregnant with her third child, Prince Louis, at the time, didn't attend Meghan's bridal shower. Most people just assumed it's because she was pregnant — which may have been the case (Kate has challenging pregnancies due to extreme morning sickness) — but InStyle reported that the two were actually friendly with each other.
Katie Nicholl told the magazine, "I think they are certainly friendly, and they are spending more time with each other. You know, they're neighbors in Kensington Palace, and I know that Meghan enjoys going over to see Kate and the children, and she does enjoy that. I'm told there's always an open invitation for her to be with Kate whenever she wants. I think that any animosity is probably a fabrication in the press. I've never heard to suggest that they don't get along."
Still, speculation rose on why Kate Middleton didn't attend the bridal shower. The event was held in London, and it was said to be "low key" but was this the first real hint they didn't hang out when cameras weren't around?
July 2018: All Seems Well
Now that Meghan Markle is officially a member of the royal family, having married Harry in May 2018, all seems good within the family. Their wedding was gorgeous, and everyone was all smiles, and it was reported that Meghan was leaning on Kate during all the drama with her family was in the news cycle.
"Kate's well aware of what Meghan is going through," a source told Katie Nicholl. "Her family has been dragged through the tabloids and she knows it's not nice. She's made a big effort to be kind to Meghan and look out for her."
October 2018: The Couples Split Up
One of the first big drops that something might be up between the William and Kate, Harry and Meghan was when it was announced that they were professionally splitting up. Instead of sharing Kensington Palace — and the same social media profiles — they were moving to separate offices and social channels.
"Now they have their own families, they no longer rely on each other as before," a source said to The Sunday Times. "There is a gulf in the style and approach to the type of work that William and Kate will increasingly do as future head of state and consort, and Harry and Meghan, who have more of a blank canvas with their roles."
November 2018: The Sussexes Move
It was announced at this time that Harry and Meghan, who were expecting their first child at this time, had decided that they were moving to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, moving away from Kensington Palace in London. Multiple reports were saying at the time that it was tension between the royal sisters-in-law that prompted the move.
Royal correspondent of the Daily Express in London Richard Palmer shared on Twitter that the reason for the move isn't as drama-filled as people were making it out to be. "Harry and Meghan spreading their wings. No big fallout but Kate and Meghan not close," he explained.
December 2018: Kate & Queen Elizabeth Make a Pact
No one likes to be told what to do, but in the royal family, rules and following strict etiquette is super important. One small misstep and the public calls foul so it was reported that shortly after Meghan married Prince Harry, the Queen and Kate made a pact to "control" Meghan.
In the book Royals at War, written by Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett, it was reported that Queen Elizabeth and Kate Middleton formed an alliance. The purpose of the alliance was to guide her through these strict rules because the royal family didn't want any Meghan scandals. Meghan likely felt ganged up on, and certainly didn't want to be "controlled."
May 2019: No More Drama?
In May 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan welcomed their son, Archie, and the two sisters-in-law and their children were photographed together at the King Power Royal Charity Polo Day. Finding Freedom claimed the photos showed off that these two had a "cordial but distant rapport," noting that "the two appeared to barely exchange a word."
A few days after that, Kate and Meghan were photographed again together, attending Wimbledon along with Kate's sister, Pippa Middleton.
October 2019: Kate & Meghan Reconcile
Meghan gave a candid interview for an ITV documentary where she told host Tom Brady that she was struggling. "Not many people have asked if I'm OK," when he asked how she was handling everything. Royal author Phil Dampier, told Express that after the documentary aired, Kate was "doing her best to bring everyone together and help Meghan."
"I'm told she has reached out to Meghan and spoken to her on the phone. Kate feels sorry for her and knows that Meghan is struggling," Dampier continued.
January 2020: Harry & Meghan Step Down as Senior Royals
Harry and Meghan made a surprise and shocking announcement that they were stepping down from their positions as senior members of the royal family. It was reported that no one in the royal family knew this was coming and they were all caught off guard.
As if that wasn't enough, the Sussexes (mostly Meghan) was accused of making the announcement when they did — on the eve of Kate's birthday — that upset the Cambridges. Us Weekly reported that at this point in time, the two sisters-in-law "couldn't [have been] further apart."
March 2020: The Cold Shoulder
After the announcement that the Sussexes were leaving royal life, Harry and Meghan spent time in Canada before returning to the UK to finish out their royal obligations before officially stepping down. Their last event at the Commonwealth Day services was the first time Kate and Meghan were photographed together since the announcement she was stepping down … and the cold shoulder was strong.
"It was a real slap in the face, especially the way Kate gave Meghan the cold shoulder. Meghan tried to take the high road and strike up a conversation, but Kate basically blanked her," a source told Star magazine.
April 2020: Kate Feels More Relaxed With Meghan Gone
It's been reported that Kate's feeling better now that Meghan is no longer a working royal. because Kate felt intimidated by Meghan — and she's more relaxed now. "Someone who knows Kate well said 'the atmosphere since the Sussexes left has noticeably improved. Kate does not feel she has to compete now. She has gone back to a much simpler style,'" a source close to the royal family told the Sun. "Kate feels very much more relaxed now."
June 2020: Meghan Feels a 'Slap in the Face'
The drama between these two sisters-in-law didn't end when Meghan left her position as a senior working royal. In July 2020, Tatler magazine ran a pretty scathing article about Kate for its July/August cover, and it didn't paint Kate in the best of lights. It had been a long while since Kate had been on the receiving end of backlash — unlike Meghan who was getting negative headline after headline written about her since she entered the picture.
In a rare response to the media, the palace released a statement, coming to Kate's defense. "This story contains a swathe of inaccuracies and false misrepresentations which were not put to Kensington Palace prior to publication," a spokesperson for the palace said in a statement shortly after the article was released.
According to the Daily Mail, Meghan was upset because she never felt like the palace had her back. "Meghan said Kensington Palace never once came to her defense when she was being shredded by the media," a source close to the Duchess of Sussex told the Daily Mail. "Now Kate gets a bit of negative press, and the palace comes out in less than 24 hours to rebuke the claims made against her."
