Meghan Markle’s relationship with her sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, has long been the subject of speculation and discussion through the years, but it’s been clear the bond between the two women is not as strong as it once was.
The first reports of a rift between the Duchess of Sussex and the future Queen emerged in 2019, with some claiming that Meghan made Princess Kate cry before her wedding to Prince Harry the year before. But two years later the claim was disputed by the duchess who said it was the other way around.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s row with the Prince and Princess of Wales intensified after the couple’s infamous Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021, a year after their sensational exit from the Royal Family and peaked after their highly controversial docuseries on Netflix, Harry & Meghan, during which the estranged couple made a series of bombshell claims about William and Kate.
Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace have never commented on Harry and Meghan’s claims, in line with the monarchy’s “never complain, never explain” approach.
Here, Express.co.uk takes a look at all the times Meghan Markle has made comments about the Princess of Wales.
2014 – The Tig
Meghan Markle’s earliest reference to the Princess of Wales was all the way back in 2014, just two years before she met future husband Prince Harry.
Writing on her now-defunct blog The Tig, Meghan spoke about interviewing Princess Alia Al-Senussi, who is a member of Libyan royalty and said: “Little girls dream of being princesses. I, for one, was all about She-Ra, Princess of Power.”
She added: “Grown women seem to retain this childhood fantasy. Just look at the pomp and circumstance surrounding the royal wedding and endless conversation about Princess Kate.
2017 – Engagement interview
The couple sat down with BBC journalist Mishal Husain in November 2017 after they announced their engagement and talked about Meghan’s introduction to the royal fold.
Harry said during the interview: “William was longing to meet her and so was Catherine.”
The duke added: “Catherine has been absolutely…” with Meghan finishing the sentence: “She’s been wonderful.”
Five years later, in 2022, in one episode of their Netflix docuseries Meghan said that the interview felt like an “orchestrated reality show”.
She said: “It was rehearsed. We did the thing out with the press, then we went right inside, took the coat off and did the interview. So it’s all in that same moment.”
The BBC and Ms Husain have hit back at Meghan’s claims, with the journalist saying at the time: “We know recollections may vary on this particular subject but my recollection is definitely very much, asked to do an interview, and do said interview.”
2018 – Royal Foundation Forum
Harry and Meghan joined William and Kate in March 2018, just two months before their wedding for an event discussing the work of the Royal Foundation – a charity William and Harry founded, which later included Kate and Meghan, before the Sussex couple left it after their royal departure in 2020.
At the time, Meghan spoke about what it was like working with the three royals.
She said: “Thank goodness it’s such differing personalities and that everyone’s very communicative because that’s how you can really see bigger change,” she said.
“If everyone’s thinking the same way, how are you going to push the envelope? You know, how are you really going to break through in a different sort of mindset?
“Changing mindsets and all of that is part of this communication that we have constantly. So, I think it’s part of the reason we’ve had so much success with Heads Together and whatever we end up working on moving forward.
2021 – Oprah Winfrey interview
The Sussexes’ interview with US TV host Oprah Winfrey caused a media storm in March 2021, after the couple made a series of sensational claims about the royals as they talked about their split from the Firm and their life within it.
But one of the claims made by the duchess during the interview was about the bridesmaids’ row incident back in 2018, when reports at the time suggested Kate had made Meghan cry over Princess Charlotte’s dress for the wedding.
Meghan dismissed the claims and said the story happened the other way around – the future Queen had allegedly made her cry.
She said: “The narrative with Kate—which didn’t happen—was really, really difficult and…I think that’s when everything changed, really.”
The duchess added: “I don’t say that to be disparaging to anyone, because it was a really hard week of the wedding and she was upset about something, but she owned it, and she apologised.
“And she brought me flowers and a note, apologising. And she did what I would do if I knew that I hurt someone, right, to just take accountability for it.
She also said that she didn’t think it “fair to her to get into the details of that because she [Kate] apologised and I’ve forgiven her.”
Asked about whether photos of her and Kate at Wimbledon were true in representing how happy they were in real life, Meghan said: “I think everyone welcomed me…When you say, ‘Was it what it looked like?’ my understanding and my experience of the past four years is it’s nothing like what it looks like.”
The duchess also spoke about how the Palace was willing to protect Kate from negative stories in the media, whereas they were not willing to do the same for her.
She said: “I think so much of what I have seen play out is 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.
“Kate was called ‘Waity Katie. While I imagine that was really hard, and I do, I can’t picture what that felt like, this is not the same. And if a member of this family will comfortably say ‘We’ve all had to deal with things that are rude,’ rude and racist are not the same.
At the time, their claims sent shockwaves around the world, with Buckingham Palace making an exception and issuing a statement from the late Queen Elizabeth, which said: “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan.
“The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. Whilst some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.
“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members.
2022 – Netflix docuseries
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s next bombshell came one year later, when the couple released their controversial docuseries in which they talk about their relationship, their family life and departure from the Firm.
Meghan did not mention Kate for the majority of the series, however, she did speak about the culture shock she experienced when meeting the royals – namely William and Kate.
The duchess said: “It’s so funny if I look back at it now because now I know so much and I’m so glad I didn’t then. Because I could just authentically be myself without so much preparedness.
“Even when Will and Kate came over and I met her for the first time, they came over for dinner and I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot.
“It’s like I was a hugger, I’ve always been a hugger. I didn’t realise that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.”
She added: “I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through to the inside…that there is a forward-facing way of being and then you close the door, and you go ‘Oh…ok we can relax now.’ But that formality carries over on both sides and that was surprising to me.
2024 – Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis
The Sussex couple had stayed silent regarding any further comments on the Prince and Princess of Wales, however, they made an exception earlier this year, after Princess Kate announced her shock cancer diagnosis in March.
Harry and Meghan quickly released a statement following Kate’s announcement.
It read: “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.
