It can be difficult living in your sister-in-law’s shadow, especially when that in-law is Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales. And in yet another bruising week for Meghan Markle, her charitable efforts have seen her compared to Kate – and cruelly dubbed a ‘disaster tourist’.
Meghan, 43, who shares Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, with husband Prince Harry— revealed to her 1.7m Instagram followers her latest good deed, asking famous pal Adam Levine, lead singer of Maroon 5, to help her track down a Billie Eilish t-shirt for a fan who’d been caught up in the recent L.A fires.
Not only was the Duchess dubbed a ‘name dropper’ but after visiting neighbourhoods affected by the fires with husband Prince Harry, 40, the couple were described as ‘disaster tourists’ when images were released of them hugging victims and handing out food parcels.
Adding insult to injury, US President Donald Trump last week heaped on the humiliation when he revealed he would not kick Harry out of the country in a wrangle over his immigration status, spitefully saying, ‘I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.’
Meanwhile, back in the UK, Kate Middleton, 43, was widely praised after visiting Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice in south Wales last week. This was Kate’s first public outing outside of London since receiving cancer treatment. During her visit, the Princess— mother to George, eleven, Charlotte, nine, and Louis, six— was described as ‘radiant’ after being named the hospital’s patron, a role previously held by her late mother-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales. And insiders say the positive reaction to Kate’s public work has left Meghan ‘fuming’ and ‘bitter’ at the constant hate she receives for her charitable acts.
An insider tells Closer, ‘Meghan has of course noticed how millions of royal watchers seem to fawn over Kate’s every move – without giving her work so much as a passing look. The fact she was slammed for helping out in the wildfire relief effort while Kate’s held up as this almost saintly figure does hurt her. And it really stings that the criticism is just as harsh in America these days as it is in Britain.’
Meghan and Harry were also recently the subject of a Vanity Fair article in which some sources called Meghan a ‘lovely, genuine person,’ while others accused the couple of being ‘undermining.’
Meghan, who along with Harry stepped down from royal family in 2020 for California, cannot seem to win. ‘People seem to want her to sit home and stay out of sight but that’s not her, she doesn’t want to always be outshone,’ the insider tells Closer. ‘She feels it’s a duty of hers to show everybody that she’s just as much Diana’s daughter-in-law as Kate is.
‘When Harry and Meghan gave up their official royal duties, they were told that everyone can serve in their own way, and this is their way of serving. Yet it seems that no matter what they do— even more so, everything Meghan does— will be interpreted in a negative way. It feels like an uphill battle, and the fact that people found fault with her helping out victims of a wildfire makes it clear that she can’t win, and that is very disheartening.’
Over the years, many royal watchers were desperate to spot signs of rivalry between Kate and Meghan, particularly when they would make appearances alongside each other before Meghan and Harry moved to California. But while Meghan is hurt by their differing treatments in the press, she insists that she bears no ill will towards her sister-in-law.
A source continues, ‘Meghan feels incredibly hard done by and really doesn’t appreciate the disparity of it all, even though she’s softened a lot towards Kate and wishes her nothing but good health after everything she’s been through. It’s something she’s just got to learn to live with at this point, but it still winds her up.’
The mum-of-two appeared alongside Harry at the Invictus Games in Vancouver, with the pair hugging at kissing at almost every opportunity. She was snapped nuzzling into his shoulder at the Opening Ceremony, and again at a National Hockey League game.
A source tells Closer, ‘Her presence at the Invictus Games with Harry with all the PDA moments is being seen as her attempt at outshining Kate for once. Her make-out session with Harry went around the world, no doubt that would have rankled in some royal circles. And, more importantly, it got Meghan and Harry on the front page everywhere. It’s that kind of attention she’s happy to get!’
