They are often pitted against each other following the “wedding-gate” scandal exposed during last year’s Oprah Winfrey interview, but Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton seemingly have something in common. According to reports, both the Duchess of Sussex and the Duchess of Cambridge are planning to boost their solo careers with the backing of their royal partners.
Last week it was announced Meghan would be interviewing powerful women for a new podcast called Archetypes.
The series is part of the couple’s deal with streaming platform Spotify, said to be worth a reported £20million.
Meanwhile, in the wake of Kate and William’s tour of Jamaica, aides have repeatedly been discussing a “shake-up”. It’s thought a key part of the strategy involves Kate, 40, doing more solo trips overseas – without Prince William by her side. Added to this is Kate’s own desire to embark on her own projects.
Royal expert and biographer Duncan Larcombe believes both Harry and Prince William will be firmly behind their wives, as they boldly go it alone.
“One of the things that Meghan and Kate have in common – and they don’t have a lot – is that they are both married to men who believe they should have their own voice,” says Duncan. “Harry and William and are supportive of them both pursuing their own causes and initiatives.
“That’s quite clearly the case, as Kate is doing more and more projects focused around her own personal interests. And we know that Meghan has been very busy since bagging her prince!”
Kate and Meghan are thought to have barely spoken for over two years, since Prince Harry’s departure from the UK to California in March 2020.
At the time, it was thought their relationship was amicable, but the couple’s bombshell interview last March saw Meghan accuse Kate of making her cry ahead of her wedding day in 2018. But Duncan tells Closer that despite the distance between the pair, he believes Meghan will be keeping a very close eye on Kate’s next move – now more than ever as both Kate and Meghan make royal history by forging their own paths.
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Duncan adds, “For Kate it’s about supporting William and the royals when it comes to such a burden on their workload, but also pursuing the interests close to her heart. She is very much stepping up to the plate.
“As the Queen gets older and Prince Charles steps up and takes on a lot of her roles, the workload is enormous and we just have to see how much of that burden Kate is willing to take on when she is focused on being a mum.
“This will certainly be something that Prince William and Kate have discussed privately. He has always admired her commitment to royal duty but is very aware that Kate loves being a mother and also encourages her to nurture her own projects.”
Last year, Kate ventured into her own initiatives, including opening The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. She also held the Together at Christmas concert at Westminster Abbey in December. And it seems the royal tour in the Caribbean has only intensified her resolve to embark on her own projects. While their tour last month saw the young royals championed as the “golden couple,” it was also blighted by Britain’s colonial past and historic support of the slave trade.
Now our source tells Closer, “Kate and William were obviously hurt by the criticism of the tour and know that the royal family needs a shake-up in the future. They have made a pact that she will do more work by herself and show off her skills and expertise. Kate knows what her strengths are – meeting people and bringing awareness to her chosen charities too.”
The news came after Kate’s passionate speech about early- childhood development at a school in Jamaica hit headlines after William admitted he was “out of [his] depth” on the subject – despite being dad to Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and three-year-old Prince Louis.
Meanwhile, Duncan believes that Meghan is very much taking the lead in her marriage to Harry, 37, with whom she shares two children, Archie, two, and 10-month-old Lilibet.
In addition to her podcast series, Archetypes, and her podcast deal, she has appeared on TV with Ellen DeGeneres and written a children’s book. Her animated series for Netflix – Pearl – is also said to be due for release later this year. It’s inspired by great women in history, and sources say Harry is 100 per cent behind the endeavour.
Another royal source says, “Meghan and Harry make all decisions together, when it comes to working out what is best for them as a couple and a family. They also made a pact that Meghan would do more stuff by herself and prove she’s more than just Harry’s wife. They know they get criticised but have vowed to get through tough times together – both Meghan and Harry are thrilled that she will be able to highlight things that are important to her and show a different side to her.”
Duncan adds, “Meghan seems to be carving a very distinct path for herself. Doors have opened for her and she is taking the limelight. She is lining up all sorts of things, and we are beginning to see her emerge as the primary member of that power couple.”