Meghan Markle reportedly feels she’s being made to play by a “different rulebook” altogether as compared to her estranged sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.
Having both carried out similar activities in recent months, including trips abroad and sharing pictures of their family, Meghan garnered backlash for using her children to “stay relevant” while royal fans gushed over Kate.
The Duchess of Sussex believes Kate and her husband, Prince William, are still “bad-mouthing her” and remains puzzled as to why people keep thinking the Princess of Wales is faultless.
The longstanding rift within the royal family has seemingly taken a more divisive turn, with hopes of a potential reconciliation further tossed down the drain.
According to Star Magazine, a source close to Meghan has revealed that she increasingly feels she is being made to play by a “different rulebook” than her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, amid their ongoing rift.
The former “Suits” actress’s suspicion reportedly comes from the public and media reception of her actions, which she feels carries a critical weight that Kate simply does not face.
For instance, Kate and William recently celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary with cute family photos, including their children and pet, after which they shared a sweet portrait of their daughter Charlotte to celebrate her 11th birthday.
Meghan also did something similar days later, as she took to social media to share a post in honor of her son Archie’s seventh birthday. One photo saw him and his sister Lilibet bonding together, while another had him lying on his dad, Prince Harry’s, chest as a baby.
While Kate’s post left fans gushing about her cute family dynamics, Meghan came under fire for the same, with critics accusing her of “pimping their children to stay in [the] media spotlight.”
The Duchess Of Sussex Believes The Princess Of Wales Will Always Be The ‘Golden Girl’
The source who spoke to the news outlet shared that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex feel like “there’s one set of rules for William and Kate and another for them,” going on to add that “the resentment over the double standard is bubbling up again.”
The insider went further to note that Kate and William are also “clearly using their children as part of the royal image and the branding of the family,” but quizzed why Harry and Meghan are not allowed to do the same.
“Yet Meghan’s been criticized for even including the smallest glimpse of Archie and Lilibet. She feels like she’s constantly being judged by a completely different rulebook, and no matter what she does, Kate will be the golden girl, and she will be the villain,” they added.
Meghan Markle’s Strained Relationship With Kate Middleton Affected Her Stay In The Palace
After stepping back from their royal roles in 2020, Harry and Meghan hurled similar allegations against the royal family, including claims that some family members made life hard for the As Ever founder.
Her relationship with Kate also didn’t kick off on a high note, particularly because of a 2018 clash involving bridesmaid dresses that left the future queen in tears ahead of Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
Although Meghan claimed Kate later apologized, her frosty relationship with the mother-of-three seemingly took a toll on her stay within palace walls, as Kate was always the more favored wife of the two of them.
“Once the word was out that they didn’t get along, the writing was on the wall,” the source told Star. “Meghan knew at that point that her future within The Firm — as well as the U.K. as a whole — was doomed.”
The Duchess Feels Her Family Is Being Compared To Kate and William’s
Meanwhile, talks suggesting that both royal families are being compared all over again have started springing up.
Harry and Meghan recently completed a four-day Australian tour where they took part in some charitable and business ventures.
After that, Kate announced that she was proceeding on a solo trip to Italy for her work with early child development. In fact, reports also suggest that William and Kate will likely proceed on a “revenge tour” to Australia to take the shine off Harry and Meghan’s visit.
“There’s definitely a sense in royal circles that the competition stakes have been reignited again,” the source said.
Meghan Markle Is Reportedly Frustrated With How Kate Is Viewed As A ‘Sweet’ And ‘Faultless Person’
And now, Meghan is even more convinced that Kate is being protected by powerful forces within palace walls who are also out to paint her as the big bad guy.
“Meghan has no doubt the Waleses are still stirring the pot and bad-mouthing her,” the insider noted. “That’s the main reason why it rankles and affects her so much.”
The Montecito-based royal is said to have grown frustrated that Kate continues to be viewed as flawless despite the rancors that have ensued privately behind palace walls.
“Meghan would love one day to expose how Kate isn’t this sweet, faultless person that everyone seems to think,” the source added. “Meghan says their unfortunate showdown before the wedding was just one example of how frosty and controlling Kate can be.”
