It's normal for family members to fight sometimes, but it's just a little bit more surprising when the fight is between members of the royal family. Prince William made global news for his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011. His brother Harry, however, outdid him in 2018 when he married American actress Meghan Markle.
Ever since Meghan officially became a member of the family, the media has been dying to find out about the relationship between her and her sister-in-law, Kate. While some sources say the two are close friends, other sources say there is a feud lingering beneath the surface. As of now, it appears that the two are neither best friends nor mortal enemies. Check out this timeline of notables moments in their relationship and evaluate for yourself!
10 January 2017 - Kate and Meghan Meet
In January of 2017, Harry and Meghan weren't yet engaged but were definitely taking things seriously. Naturally, Harry wanted to introduce his girlfriend to the rest of his family. According to ELLE, Meghan officially met Kate (as well as her daughter, Princess Charlotte) on January 10. Meghan was said to have made a great first impression, even bringing along a gift for Kate since it was the day after her birthday. Meghan gifted her a Smythson notebook, and Kate was reportedly "touched" by the thoughtful present. While it was only a brief meeting and Meghan was just Harry's girlfriend at the time, the two were about to spend a lot more time together!
9 November 2017 - Kate Expresses Excitement Over Meghan and Harry's Engagement
The world was rocked when Kensington Palace officially announced that Prince Harry, a long-time bachelor, was now engaged to be wed to Meghan. According to ELLE, Kate and Prince William also released a statement congratulating the couple and welcoming Meghan to the family. Kate also gave a statement to reporters directly, telling the press that she and her husband were "thrilled" about the "exciting news." During Meghan and Harry's first interview as an engaged couple, Meghan even gave a sweet shout-out to her future sister-in-law, referring to her as "absolutely amazing." So far so good!
8 December 2017 - Tension Arises After Meghan Spends Christmas With The Royals
Kate and Meghan are photographed at their first event together. According to ELLE, the Queen invited Meghan to join the royal family for Christmas — the first time anyone who wasn't officially part of the family received an invite. Meghan was said to be Kate and William's guest, and her and Harry stayed with them at their home in Norfolk. It wasn't until months later that news leaked that things may have been heating up behind-the-scenes all along.
Harry was said to have felt that William and Kate weren't doing enough to make Meghan feel comfortable and welcomed into the family. Prince Philip allegedly took William aside and encouraged him to invite Meghan to stay with them for Christmas. While this isn't a direct fight between the two girls, it was said to be a big blow-out for their husbands.
7 January 2018 - Kate Helps Meghan Adjust To Royal Life
While the holidays were a little stressful, it seems all was forgotten by the new year. According to E! News, Kate decided to help Meghan adapt to the new public and posh life of a royal. While most of the family knows what it's like to be a royal from birth, Kate married into the lifestyle -- just like Meghan.
"Since very early on she made it clear that should Meghan ever need something, or just want to chat, she shouldn't hesitate to get in touch," a source said. "Kate knows how difficult it is navigating one's way through this very different world. "
By this time, Kate was close to giving birth to her third child, Prince Louis. Meghan reportedly visited with a very pregnant Kate a lot during this time period. The ladies seemed like they were on the right track to building a great relationship!
6 March 2018 - Kate Does Not Attend Meghan's Bridal Shower
Meghan held a bridal shower at Solo Farmhouse, but the media took note of the fact that Kate was not in attendance. This might not have been a sign of trouble brewing, however. After all, Kate was VERY pregnant by this point. Vanity Fair's royal correspondent, Katie Nicholl, told InStyle she had inside information that while they girls aren't super close, they don't hate each other either. They are, however, extremely different in many ways -- something that could cause drama in the future. Nicholl shared that Meghan is more "independent" than Kate, and would rather forge her own way and find her own group of friends in London rather than rely on Kate to introduce her to people.
5 May 2018 - Kate and Meghan Fight Ahead Of Meghan's Wedding Day
On May 19, Meghan finally joined the royal family in a ceremony televised around the globe. It wasn't until months later that a source revealed that there was a little tiff between Meghan and Kate behind-the-scenes right before Meghan's special day. Kate was reportedly reduced to tears over a squabble she had with Meghan at a fitting for Princess Charlotte's bridesmaids dress.
The source noted, however, that Kate had just had a child and was "emotional." According to ELLE, not much more is known about what exactly prompted the spat, but Kate was said to be in "great form" on Meghan's actual wedding day.
4 July 2018 - Kate and Meghan Try To Bond Despite Differences
Any kind of wedding drama seemed to have dissipated by July, and Kate was said to be making an effort to befriend Meghan. According to ELLE, Kate was especially sympathetic to Meghan's family drama and her personal life being plastered all over the tabloids. Kate is certainly busy now that she's a mother of three, but she is said to have really wanted to make it a point to keep in touch with Meghan, meeting with her around once a week and speaking with her on the phone. Still, reports continued to surface about just how different the girls are. Meghan is said to be more outgoing, while Kate is a little on the shy side. Who says an extrovert and an introvert can't be friends?
3 December 2018 - Buckingham Palace Releases Statement Denying A Feud
It was in the fall and winter of 2018 that the rumors of potential family drama -- such as the awkward family Christmas and the wedding disagreement -- leaked to the press. The secret feud between Kate and Meghan were all anyone could talk about, and many began to speculate that the girls secretly hated each other. Contributing to this speculation was the news that Harry and Meghan would be moving out of Kensington Palace and into Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
The rumors became so prevalent that, in a rare move, Buckingham Palace actually went as far as to release a statement denying the two women were at odds.
2 March 2019 - Cameras Capture Meghan And Kate Sharing A Sisterly Hug
Kate and Meghan continued to work on disproving rumors of a feud by sharing a sweet hug and kiss on the cheek while attending Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London on March 11. This affectionate moment bodes well for their relationship, but as Cosmopolitan points out, the women arrived separately to the event. The previous year, Meghan and Kate rolled up to the scene together with their husbands, and the foursome all attended as a group. Could this mean their friendly moment was just an act? Or are people reading too much into things?
1 April 2019 - The Girls Have A Pact To Get Along In Public
There's a chance that while some of their interactions may indeed be exacerbated for the cameras, but it's not likely that the two are entirely insincere. According to Marie Claire UK, the women may have some "tension" but have made an "agreement" to be cordial in public. Neither are looking to encourage more gossip, and while the two may never be close friends, their relationship really isn't that dramatic either. At the end of the day, Meghan and Kate are family and will always want the best for each other. Our eyes are definitely peeled to see if they will ever move out of this neutral territory, however!
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