The Princess of Wales and Meghan Markle Haven’t Spoken Since 2019, New Book Claims—and Yes, That Includes at Joint Appearances

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle during the mourning period for Queen Elizabeth in September 2022

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 27 November 2023

Even though we have seen the Princess of Wales and Meghan Markle together since, Omid Scobie writes in his explosive new book Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival that Kate and Meghan haven’t spoken in four years, since 2019 and pre-Meghan and husband Prince Harry’s infamous 2020 step back from being working members of the royal family.

The silence included the walkabout Kate, Meghan, and their husbands Prince William and Harry took part in on September 10, two days after the death of Queen Elizabeth, at Windsor Castle. Scobie writes that the walkabout was preceded by a silent journey via car where, for 150 uncomfortable seconds, Kate and Meghan sat in silence during the short trip from their residences to the Long Walk, which Scobie said “must have taken an eternity,” as the “silence was palpable.”

Scobie writes that the Windsor walkabout was orchestrated by William and Kate’s private secretary Lee Thompson to “keep up appearances.” While it looked hopeful that maybe something good (a reunification of brothers and sisters-in-law) could come out of something horrible (the Queen’s death)—it was not to be.

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Per excerpts of the book reported on by The Daily Mail, Scobie also said that Kate spent more time “talking about” Meghan than she actually ever spent with her, and that Harry and Meghan sent William and Kate’s three children Christmas gifts last year—and weren’t acknowledged with so much as a text by the Waleses.

Endgame is out tomorrow.

"Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy's Fight for Survival" by Omid Scobie

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.