When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first became a power couple, many fans hoped that it would also give rise in a power friendship between the American actress and the Duchess of Cambridge.
Instead, rumors have circulated about a feud between the two women. Royal expert Katie Nicholls spoke to Glamour to set the record straight.
“I know in the early days Kate invited Meghan over to apartment 1A for tea,” Nicholls said. However, Nicholls conceded that despite their time together, the two duchesses never meshed well.
“I had heard that while Harry was very keen for the two of them to become best friends, there was never that sort of a friendship… They quite quickly realized they were two pretty mature women — quite different women — and really the only thing they had in common was they’d married princes.”
The two women admittedly have different backgrounds and experiences.
Kate was born in Berkshire to a tight-knit family, dated William for nearly a decade before getting engaged, and worked at her family’s company, Party Pieces. Having met the future Prince of Wales at university at St. Andrews, the sporty brunette kept a low profile for much of her relationship with Will.
Meghan, on the other hand, had a much more independent upbringing. The duchess grew up in sunny Los Angeles and attended Northwestern University. After graduation, Meghan worked abroad in Argentina before embarking on an acting career, moving to Toronto and landing the role of Rachel Zane in the legal drama, Suits . On the side, she juggled activism and travel.
Nicholls hypothesizes that these differences led to tensions between the two woman and refutes the popular rumor that there had been a specific feud.
“I think this idea of there being a catfight between the two duchesses has made tantalizing headlines, but I don’t believe that… I’ve never heard from my sources that there has ever been a feud or a falling-out.”
The Vanity Fair correspondent conceded, however, that there had been “an upset” about Princess Charlotte’s dress in preparation for the Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
Though there might be tensions, the two duchesses have been seen enjoying each other’s company. The two shared a joke at a gala honoring the 50th Anniversary of Prince Charles’s Investiture as the Prince of Wales.
“Kate and Meghan sharing a laugh! I live for little moments like this between my two favs,” said a fan on Twitter .
Kate is also reportedly throwing Meghan a U.K.-based baby shower. Meghan is expecting her first child with Prince Harry, and is rumored to be due later this month.
