She caused a stir with her new “unfiltered” podcast last month – and Meghan Markle has fuelled yet another drama with a shocking interview in which she took further shots at the royal family.
Meghan, 41 – who married Prince Harry in 2018 – gave an interview to US magazine The Cut, where she described her time within The Firm as “a cruel chapter”.
She also revealed she had been writing a journal during her time as a working royal, leading to speculation that yet more divisive secrets are to be revealed by the couple after the release of Harry’s tell-all memoir this autumn.
But there was uproar after Meghan claimed that when she attended the premiere of The Lion King in 2019, a cast member from South Africa told her, “When you married into this family, we rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison.” While the only South African cast member claimed he hadn’t even been at the premiere, the Lion King’s South African composer who had been there said he only spoke to Meghan for a few minutes and didn’t mention Mandela.
And although Meghan – mother to son Archie, three, and one-year-old daughter Lilibet – didn’t mention her sister-in-law Kate Middleton by name, fans speculated over whether she’d made a few thinly-veiled digs towards the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when she stated that she wanted to be a “strong and good parent” and not send Archie to school in the UK, where press may be hovering. Her nephew and niece Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, both attend school in the UK, with George set to start a new school in Ascot this month.
Despite the apparent pointed comments, a source tells Closer that Kate is doing her utmost to rise above it and is hoping a growing backlash against Meghan – who is reportedly falling out of favour with the press and public in America – helps bring about an end to more damaging claims being made.
The insider says, “Kate is very calm and not one to make a fuss, but there’s only so much she can take and part of her is struggling to stay quiet – it’s been nearly two years of these constant attacks.
“She almost always finds a way to not rise to any outside stress or negativity of any kind. But this is a tough one to swallow, and she has felt like there have been digs made at her personally. She’s just hoping it doesn’t get worse as Meghan steps up her profile with more interviews and broadcasts.”
Once branded “The Fab Four”, rumours of a rift between William and Kate, and Harry and Meghan started swirling four years ago, after claims of a fallout between the two women at Harry and Meghan’s wedding, after tension when William reportedly warned Harry about dating Meghan.
The fractious relationship came to a head when Meghan and Harry announced they would step back from the royals and move overseas. The following year, they sat down for an explosive interview with pal Oprah Winfrey where, among other accusations, Meghan mentioned the tension she’d had with Kate – saying that Kate was the one who had made her cry during a bridesmaid dress fitting.
In the couple’s biography Finding Freedom – which Meghan admitted to having involvement in during her privacy trial last year – it was also claimed Kate was stand-offish and cold towards Meghan when she began dating Harry.
However, Kate always kept a dignified silence, as is the protocol with the royal family, but is said to have taken comfort from reports that Meghan is losing her popularity with her American fanbase.
Our insider continues, “She’ll see it as some kind of sweet revenge that her latest comments have seemingly backfired – the response has been quite surprising – it’s almost as if Meghan’s caused her own downfall.”
When Meghan and Harry first headed to America, they were reportedly met with warmth – with publications running positive headlines, and streaming giants Netflix and Apple TV rushing to work with them and, of course, that chat with Oprah.
But the reaction to Meghan’s latest interview would suggest that the public feeling towards the couple has changed – with the New York Post running the headline “Toddler and Tiara” and writing, “The only solace she finds from this existential torment, it seems, is sitting for fancy photo shoots and talking to friendly journalists.”
And the source says Kate is now hoping the backlash leads to Meghan being more careful about her comments in further interviews.
“Meghan’s new interview has only brought more drama and unwanted attention on all parties. She does feel slightly relieved that it appears there is a change in perceptions, and that Meghan is even getting criticism in America for some of her more outlandish comments.
“Kate just wants peace for everyone. She wishes Meghan could move on and stick to making positive comments for everyone’s benefit.”