Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton Are Still "Distant"

(Image credit: Getty Images ¦ Karwai Tang)

published 3 September 2021

So many royal fans want to see the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex be the best of friends, but according to one of the most trusted royal experts of the moment, Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie, we shouldn't hold our breath.

"I think it's wishful thinking when we see people say that Meghan and Kate are going to work on a Netflix project together or they're talking on the phone," Scobie told Entertainment Tonight. "I even read a story about how they're Zooming whilst making cakes or something, quite recently."

Look, I wanted to believe those stories as much as the next girl, but Scobie is unshakably skeptical—and it's hard to deny that his reasoning makes sense. "Unfortunately, they follow the lead set by the brothers," he told ET. "The brothers aren't talking, there really isn't much communication between either side altogether. Although there was never really a feud between the duchesses, there was some distance. They were never able to get as close as possible."

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However disappointing, it's only fair that given the choice between her husband and her sister-in-law, each duchess chose her husband.

Scobie also explained that there was always an imbalance of power between the Cambridges and the Sussexes, meaning that they were never going to be the fun foursome of millennial royals that people hoped they might be. "The Fab Four was always destined to fail because neither of them were equals," he said. "These weren't four family members all on the same level, carrying out work together. It was kind of a Diana Ross and the Supremes situation."

According to Scobie, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were unhappy with the position they held within the royal family, which is part of why they felt compelled to leave. "They wanted to do just as much as the Cambridges," he said. 'They wanted to be just as front and center as William and Kate were and, of course, public appetite was there for it, but the institution is very quick to remind you that you are in that position. Harry is number six in line to the throne and must always remember that as he carries out that work. It means that he can never overshadow his brother."

As anyone with a sibling knows, that's not an easy or pleasant position to be in—royal or not.

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.