Meghan Markle was once told ‘never’ to drag Kate Middleton ‘into idle gossip,’ royal author claims
Royal author Omid Scobie claimed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge received far more support than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meghan Markle was allegedly once told by palace aides to never drag her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, into "idle gossip."
The claim was recently made by Omid Scobie, royal editor-at-large for Harper’s Bazaar and co-author of the bombshell book "Finding Freedom." Numerous insiders previously came to Scobie and co-author Carolyn Durand and detailed what led to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s departure as senior members of the British royal family.
Scobie alleged to the outlet that the couple had long felt that other members of the royal family, like Middleton and her husband Prince William, received far more support from palace aides against the U.K. tabloids than they did. However, their exasperation "came to a head in January 2020."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}At the time, Scobie claimed Kensington Palace urgently requested Markle’s husband, Prince Harry, to co-sign a statement against an "offensive" newspaper report alleging William, 39, "constantly bullied" the Sussexes before their decision to step back as senior royals.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah Winfrey was watched by nearly 50 million people worldwide. (AP)
"Well, if we’re just throwing any statement out there now, then perhaps KP can finally set the record straight about me [not making Kate cry]," Markle, 39, allegedly emailed a palace aide.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}However, one source alleged that her request, like many others, was ignored.
"The Duchess of Cambridge, [Meghan] was told, should never be dragged into idle gossip," Scobie wrote.
During a two-hour tell-all with Oprah Winfrey that aired on Sunday, Markle cleared the air about an ongoing rumor that she made Middleton cry ahead of the former American actress’ 2018 royal wedding to Harry, 36.
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Kate Middleton is married to Prince William, who is second in line to the British throne. (Getty)
Markle told Winfrey, 67, that "the reversed happened."
"That was a turning point," Markle admitted.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Markle alleged that the narrative that she and the Duchess of Cambridge had a longstanding feud stemming from Middleton crying at the wedding simply "didn’t happen." Instead, Markle explained that a few days before the wedding, Middleton was upset about the flower girl dress that her daughter, Princess Charlotte, was meant to wear.
"It made me cry and it really hurt my feelings," Markle explained. "And I thought in the context of everything else that was going on in those days leading to the wedding that it didn’t make sense to not be just doing whatever everyone else was doing, which was trying to be supportive."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meghan Markle (left) said it was Kate Middleton (right) who made her cried. However, the Duchess of Cambridge later apologized. (Getty)
However, Markle noted that the alleged feud that made for such media fodder ended almost as quickly as it began thanks to an apology from Middleton.
"It was a really hard week of the wedding," Markle explained. "And she was upset about something, but she owned it, and she apologized. And she brought me flowers and a note, apologizing. And she did what I would do if I knew that I hurt someone, right, to just take accountability for it."
According to Scobie, Markle had long urged palace aides to set the record straight as the rumor was escalated by the British press. She was constantly told it wouldn’t be possible.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didn’t do but that happened to me," Markle later told Winfrey. "Everyone in the institution knew it wasn’t true…. I’m not sharing that piece about Kate in any way to be disparaging to her. I think it’s really important for people to understand the truth. … She’s a good person. And I think so much of what I have seen play out is this idea of polarity, where if you love me, you don’t have to hate her. And if you love her, you don’t need to hate me."
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Meghan Markle is currently expecting her second child. (AP)
"They really seemed to want a narrative of a hero and a villain," Markle added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Scobie noted palaces aides were more helpful to other royal family members when it came to addressing the press. He pointed out that officials even issued a statement to deny Middleton used Botox in July 2019.
"But both Harry and Meghan felt they did not have access to this same privilege," he wrote.
Instead, the negative stories only intensified as Markle struggled to navigate her role as a senior member of the British royal family. Meanwhile, Middleton was often praised and adored as the future queen consort.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Thursday, Prince William denied that his family is racist. (AP)
William is second in line to the British throne.
A rep for Middleton did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In the interview, Markle described feeling so isolated and miserable inside the royal family that she had suicidal thoughts, yet when she asked for mental health assistance from the palace’s human resources staff, she was told they couldn’t help because she wasn’t a paid employee.
She also said Harry told her there were "concerns and conversations" about the color of her baby’s skin when she was pregnant with Archie.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Duke and Duchess of Sussex alleged someone was concerned about Archie's skin tone. (Getty)
On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace issued a 60-word statement.
"The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan," said a statement from the palace provided to Fox News. "The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately."
"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members," the statement concluded.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had no comment when reached by Fox News.
Prince Harry said he was able to afford security for his family because of the money his late mother Princess Diana left behind. (AP Photo/Jim Bourdier)
Harry told Winfrey the royal family cut him off financially at the start of 2020 after announcing plans to step back from his roles. But he was able to afford security for his family because of the money his late mother Princess Diana left behind.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After Harry and Markle married in May 2018 at Windsor Castle, the royal family seemed to welcome the Duchess of Sussex, a glamorous former TV star. The pair were seen as providing a fresh young face for the monarchy of an increasingly multicultural nation.
It didn’t take long for the fairytale to unravel.
The couple stepped away from royal duties last year and eventually settled in California, saying they wanted to escape racist coverage and unwanted intrusions on their privacy by the British media.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex currently reside in California. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)
During the interview, the duke and duchess shared they are expecting a girl due this summer.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.