For decades, the royals have maintained a close relationship. Even though fights occur in the family like every typical family, when necessary, they put up a front, professing unity—especially when it involves the Queen.
On June, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was honored, celebrating her seventy years of reign.
This brought Kate Middleton, her husband, Prince William, together with his somewhat estranged brother, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle.
Appearing at the event, the women dressed to the nines. The Duchess of Cambridge opted for Emilia Wickstead’s design. Her pale yellow dress bore an X-themed detail at the waist, configuring it into a simple yet elegant outfit.
Kate accentuated her look with a Philip Treacy hat, sliding and resting on her head simultaneously while its floral patterns were cushioned under the cover. She also clutched onto a small purse and a pair of gloves.
On the other hand, the American-native went full Dior, rocking a crisp white embellished trench coat and skirt paired with a matching white hat. In addition, Markle’s hair was styled to fit the brim, making her snowflake earrings visible.
This marked Markle and Prince Harry’s first visit as a couple to a royal event, following their decision to step down as senior family members.
When they arrived at the Cathedral, boos could be heard, but it was soon overwhelmed by the thunderous cheers and smiles they received from attendees.
The couple waited briefly to chat with the clerics at the door before settling in the second row of the congregation with Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
Although Prince Harry looked happy and even laughed at a possible joke while seated next to his cousin’s husband, neither Harry nor Markle crossed paths with other senior members.
The couple did not sit close to Prince William, his wife, or the future king, Prince Charles. When Prince Charles passed by their seats, he looked away compared to when he encountered Kate.
The Prince of Wales was welcoming and even blew her a kiss after a slight greeting. Many royals convened at another location for a reception following the service, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were absent.
Although they did not attend any other events, the couple was present at the crucial celebrations. The previous day, they joined the royal family for Trooping the Colour. Despite their involvement, they distanced themselves from Prince William and Kate.
While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stood on the balcony during the ceremony with the Queen and more than ten relatives, including grandkids, Prince Harry and Markle were playing with a couple of royal kids.
This looked like an awkward setting, but the Queen had earlier instructed that only active family members should join her on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
While the former senior royal members seemed thrilled with the attention they got from other family members and not bothered about the awkwardness, they also acted like high school lovers, with Harry acknowledging his wife.
Somehow, fans compared their relationship to William and Kate, adding that the Duchess of Cambridge seemed jealous of their romance because it was different from what she shared with her husband, to whom she had been married for years.
The ever-prying fans alleged that Kate was “unhappy” even with her husband next to her due to a lack of communication. According to a tweet:
“Kate is always trying to communicate with William, but he does not ever acknowledge her. [they] both look very unhappy.”
Another wrote: “Jealousy. Jealousy. JEA-LOU-SY!” A third person added their kids to the equation. The fan tweeted:
“I think this woman is really suffering. She is very very unhappy. Desperately unhappy. Now imagine her kids having to deal with all that sadness.”
Another fan maintained that William did not acknowledge his wife after she passed a comment about him at the event. The fan’s comment was:
“He doesn’t even acknowledge her.”
The second read: “What’s telling is the absolute zero response from William at whatever Mumbles mumbled. It’s like she does not exist to him.”
Apart from spotting the difference between Prince William’s treatment and his younger brother to their wives, some royal fans claimed that Kate was in awe of Meghan when she saw her at the church. One person wrote:
“did she [say] wow?”
Markle was warmly received when she was introduced to the royal family following her relationship with Harry. But a few months before their exit, it was glaring that the American native was a sore thumb, even to her royal sister-in-law.
Once they left to settle in the US, Markle boldly talked about her experiences with Kate. She revealed that the media published a wrong story seven months after her wedding, accusing her of what Kate did.
Markle explained that Kate made her cry at her wedding and not the other way round. She was terrified that the false news traveled fast and that the palace did not counter it. While speaking to Oprah Winfrey, she added:
“She’s a good person, and I think so much of what I have seen play out was this idea of polarity where if you love me you don’t have to hate her, and if you love her, you don’t need to hate me.”
Despite her take on Kate’s personality, Markle is displeased about how the media pits them against each other by making Kate the better royal.