Meghan Markle royal rift: How serious is the rift between Kate Middleton and Meghan?
MEGHAN Markle and Kate Middleton have been dogged by persistent rumours of a feud between the sisters-in-law. So how serious is this?
Meghan will have to curtsy to Kate when she's Queen says expert
In the past few weeks, the fairy tale of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s romance has taken a bit of a battering. After months of overwhelming public support, the rumour-mill swung the other way and now seems stuck on this perceived rift between Meghan, 37, and Kate Middleton, 36. The two are said to have come to blows amid a similar rift with their husbands, William, 36 and Harry, 34.
It’s unclear where the rumours began, but they coincided with the news that Harry and Meghan were planning to move house.
Currently shacked up in Nottingham Cottage in the ground of Kensington Palace, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are neighbours to William and Kate.
But now, ahead of the arrival of their first baby in the spring, Meghan and Harry are planning to relocate to Frogmore Cottage in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Despite numerous sources assuring the public that the move was for the sake of privacy and the Sussex’s desire to strike out on their own, the rumour mill went into overdrive.
READ MORE: A peek inside Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and the Sussex baby's new home
Were the brothers fighting? Did the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge really not like Meghan? Did William really share concerns with the Queen about his brother’s whirlwind romance?
The truth of the matter is, of course, that none of us really know.
The family is notoriously private, and the chances of an accurate report coming out of the palace concerning a private conversation between the Queen and her grandson are very slim.
Other rumours include Meghan apparently making Kate cry at a fitting for her bridesmaids' dresses - Kate’s three-year-old Charlotte was in the wedding party.
And there have also been unfounded claims of Meghan’s difficult behaviour with staff.
But is this all just the usual cycle of fickle-natured public mood?
Meghan enjoyed months in the warm glow of the public and media’s favour over the summer, but as the weather turned colder, so did her reception.
READ MORE: The one thing Meghan has been warned NOT to do at Christmas with the Queen
Meghan Markle wasn’t welcomed by Prince William says expert
One source, said to be friends with Kate and William, told Us Weekly: “There is no fighting going on between Kate and Meghan.
“Kate is lovely. She’s British, she’s reserved—you have to break through that armour.
“Kate doesn’t warm up to people too quickly.
“It takes some time for her to become comfortable and trusting for anyone in the outside world.”
READ MORE: Why did the Queen ban one of Meghan's favourite foods?
So perhaps any perceived iciness between the two is merely just the mark of two women in the public eye who don’t know each other too well yet - after all, not everyone is instantly best friends with their in laws.
The source went on to say Meghan is just settling into royal life, having been thrust into the spotlight just six months ago.
“It took some adjusting for Meghan to get used to the protocols of the palace and the royal family,” the source says.
“That can’t be easy for anyone to get used to, especially a woman who had all the independence in the world just one year ago.”