Meghan ‘Hoped to Reconcile with Kate’ through Kids at Jubilee, Claims Royal Commentator

Royal sisters-in-law Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton have similar stories of dating princes. However, after marrying into royalty, tension arose between them. Since then, Markle has attempted to mend fences, using their kids as a stepping stone, but it backfired.

British journalist Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, who co-authored "Finding Freedom," revealed in the book that Meghan Markle felt let down after Kate Middleton missed her introduction to the Royal Family.

The said meeting occurred in November 2016 in Kensington Palace, where Markle and her then-boyfriend, Prince Harry, had an informal tea with his older brother, Prince William.

According to the authors, the actress was "disappointed" that her future sister-in-law, Duchess of Cambridge, was absent that day:

"Meghan was disappointed she didn't get to meet Kate, who was with the children at Anmer Hall, the couple's Norfolk estate home near Sandringham."

The pair added that thought did not stay in her mind for long as she and the Duke of Cambridge got along during the meet and greet. He had stated how happy he was to see his younger brother smiling.

Naturally, Markle was nervous about meeting her future brother-in-law, who happened to be protective of his sibling, and as such, she expected an intense interrogation from Prince William.

Thankfully, the meeting went well as the future King of England looked forward to meeting the woman who put a silly grin on his brother's face.

The trio had tea in the Cambridges' family kitchen away from staff. When asked later what it was like introducing Markle to the family, Prince Harry said it was exciting, adding that his sibling and Middleton had longed to meet the American native.

After finally meeting the Duchess of Cambridge and being neighbors of her and her husband, Markle revealed that she had been "wonderful to them." The Duke of Sussex had mentioned that the Cambridges were supportive.

In February 2022, filmmaker Bidisha claimed that Middleton even taught the Duchess of Sussex about unknown English Conventions when she was about to marry into the Royal Family. In the documentary "Kate: Our Queen in Waiting," Bidisha said:

"Apparently, Kate also schooled Meghan in some of those English conventions which you may not think about as an arriving American."

Middleton was reportedly tipped as the prominent member of the Royal Family to teach Markle the Queen's etiquette before her wedding to Prince Harry.

Despite Middleton stepping in to help, the Express reported in August 2020 that Markle claimed her in-law was not supportive during their roles as senior royal members.

Royal correspondent Scobie stated that Markle's marriage to Prince Harry prevented her and Middleton from developing a close sisterly bond.

He emphasized that though they were never at loggerheads, there was never a hint of a deep friendship between the two royal women:

"They were never at war and never the dueling duchesses. They were just two women who had this very surface-level friendship."

Scobie explained that although they managed to bond at sports outings, they lacked the depth of sisterhood, especially from Middleton's side. The Duchess of Cambridge's lack of support left Markle devastated.

She was reported as "an extremely guarded person" towards the "Suits" star. The Mirror stated that Princess Charlotte "eased tensions" between her mom and the Duchess of Sussex, helping them build a bond of some sort.

The Sussexes spent more time with the Cambridges and their kids when they were neighbors. That was when Markle developed an adoration for Middleton's daughter. As such, the royal women had no choice but to create a less tense environment whenever the children were around.

MARKLE 'FEELS FREE' LIVING HER NEW LIFE IN CALIFORNIA

Markle and Prince Harry stepped down as senior royals in 2020, and in January of that year, a report revealed that she could not be happier with her life in California. Her husband was also said to be enthusiastic about the next chapter of their lives. Moreover, a source revealed to Us Weekly that Markle was stunned by how things panned out:

"Meghan feels free. She has never been happier. She's happy to be out of London. She was surprised at how quickly everything happened."

In addition, just before her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, the tabloids reported that she made Middleton cry. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, Markle addressed the speculations, setting the record straight.

When Winfrey quoted reports of Middleton making her cry before her royal wedding, Markle said, "No, the reverse happened." She explained that her sister-in-law had been upset about something. But Middleton owned her part in making Markle cry.

The Duchess of Sussex shared that Middleton apologized to her and bought her flowers and a note apologizing. The interaction was regarding the dresses of flower girls, which led to her crying as it hurt her feelings.

Recalling that incident, the Duchess explained that it was a stressful week ahead of the wedding and that because it was so chaotic, she let bygones be bygones for peace.

Markle was intensely nervous days leading up to her wedding to Prince Harry. As such, she got pampered before the big day to ease her nerves.

There was a rehearsal dinner that included the Cambridges and their two older kids, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Afterward, the Duchess received a facial and energy-healing session at Clivedon House.

It was also during the period when her father, Thomas Markle, was making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Just ahead of the ceremony, the Duchess revealed that her dad would not be walking her down the aisle as he had to have heart surgery in Mexico and would not be able to fly.

There was a lot of controversy surrounding Thomas' anticipated absence before the wedding, as reports stated he suffered a heart attack because of stress caused by paparazzi coverage.

In addition, he was embarrassed when he was outed by a British tabloid that he had colluded with a paparazzo to stage "candid" photos of himself preparing for his daughter's royal wedding.

THE DIFFICULTIES THE SUSSEXES FACED AS SENIOR ROYALS

Markle and Prince Harry tied the knot in May 2018 at St. George's Chapel. They welcomed two kids, son Archie and daughter Lilibet. Archie was born in May 2019.

Following his birth, his mother did not pose for photos immediately, as is tradition with other royal members. That said, the young royal was formally introduced to the world two days later with a photocall held in St. George's Hall in Windsor Castle.

When Oprah suggested that the Duke and Duchess seemed not to care about the royal tradition, Markle corrected her, saying they were not asked to take a photo, to begin with:

"We weren't asked to take a picture. That's also part of the spin that was damaging. I thought, ‘Can you just tell them the truth? Can you say to the world you're not giving him a title? Just tell people and then they’ll understand.’ But they wouldn't do that."

During Platinum Jubilee, there were no public photos of Archie, and he was not seen in public either. However, Prince Harry and Markle shared an image of their daughter, whom they welcomed in June 2021, on her first birthday.

An image of Lilibet, named after the Queen, was taken by a family friend, Misan Harriman, at a picnic hosted by her parents at their Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.

Though the monarch has reportedly met her namesake for the first time over Jubilee weekend, no photo of them together has been shared. That is because Her Majesty banned the Sussexes from taking a picture of her and her great-granddaughter. According to a source, the couple would have loved to have had the monumental moment on camera:

"Harry and Meghan wanted their photographer to capture the moment Lilibet met the Queen, but they were told no chance. It was a private family meeting."

Lilibet celebrated her birthday with a cake, balloons, picnic snacks, and party games. Her parents hosted an intimate party for her and gifted the birthday girl a pastel pink VW Beetle ride-on car.

Amid their visit to the UK, Markle allegedly looked forward to reconnecting with Middleton, said royal expert Neil Sean on his YouTube channel:

"Meghan Markle was really hoping to reconcile with Kate using the children to try and rebond the whole family together. One way or another, that really wasn't meant to be."

The Cambridges missed Lilibet's first birthday celebration as they were duty-bound. They went to Wales on a surprise Jubilee visit in Cardiff. Some reports stated Prince William was still wary about spending time alone with his brother.

However, a royal source explained that the couple being absent was not intentional. "It's simply a coincidence they fell on the same day. There was no intended slight," said the insider. But the Sussexes did extend an invite to Prince William and Middleton.