The Duchess of Sussex and the Duchess of Cambridge's complicated relationship is detailed in a new book.
Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton are now an ocean apart from one another, but even when the two duchesses lived in the same palace, their relationship was a complicated one. In the new tell-all, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of the Modern Royal Family, royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand share new insight into the relationship between the wives of Prince Harry and Prince William.
"I was always told that there was never a catfight as such, between the two girls. I was told there hadn't been a fallout over anything specific. I was told that they simply didn't click, that they didn't have a huge amount in common," royal expert Katie Nicholl tells ET. "And this seems to be reinforced in the book, that apparently Kate felt they have nothing more in common than the fact that they lived at the same palace."
The couples both resided at Kensington Palace prior to Meghan and Harry's 2018 royal wedding, but throughout Meghan and Harry's whirlwind romance, they both seemingly felt that William and Kate didn't do enough to make Meghan feel welcomed into the royal family.
"They invited her out for for drinks and they obviously hosted the couple the Christmas after their engagement where apparently Kate made an effort in the kitchen to cook Meghan's favorite vegan meals," Nicholl adds. "Clearly the Cambridges feel that they did try, but obviously, Meghan and Harry feel that they didn't try enough and I was told from a source very close to Prince Harry that they didn't feel they have rolled out the red carpet."
William and Kate invited Harry and Meghan into their home at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, England, a rare honor, especially for someone who had not yet married into the family.
Nicholl also reveals another effort made on Kate's part that she says wasn't necessarily received well by Meghan.
"There were flowers sent to Meghan on her birthday for example. Kate would have felt that that was a lovely gesture, but apparently Meghan felt it wasn't enough," Nicholl says.
But one longtime rumor that has been debunked in the book was the speculation that Meghan made Kate cry during a fitting for her bridesmaids and page boys, of which Kate's children, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, were included.
"It was a sad story that was certainly doing the rounds and did end up being reported and in numerous papers, but the book, at least tries to knock it on its head by claiming that actually it wasn't true," Nicholl says.
Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior members of the royal family in March and have relocated to Los Angeles, where they are currently in quarantine with their 1-year-old son, Archie. Though the family has been working on their relationship in recent months, this new book depicts how the couple was supposedly feeling prior to stepping away from their roles.
"One of the things that really comes across in the book is that Meghan and Harry felt that it was them against the Palace against William and Kate," Nicholl adds. "At points I think against his own father. They have been labeled professional victims in the press."
A spokesperson for the couple released a statement regarding Finding Freedom prior to the book's Aug. 11 publication.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom. This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting,” the statement reads.
Fans can preorder Finding Freedom here, before it hits shelves in August. For more on the book, watch the clip below:
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