Meghan Markle reportedly feels like she is forced to play by “completely different rules” compared to her ex-sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.
Having both engaged in similar activities in recent months, including traveling abroad and sharing photos of their family, Meghan attracted backlash for using her children to “stay relevant”, while royal fans gushed over Kate.
The Duchess of Sussex believes that Kate and her husband, Prince Williamstill criticize her and remain perplexed as to why people continue to think the Princess of Wales is beyond reproach.
Why Meghan Markle feels like she has to play by ‘different rules’
The long-standing rift within the royal family appears to have taken an even more divisive turn, with hopes of an eventual reconciliation further thrown into the water.
According to Star Magazinea source close to Meghan revealed that she increasingly feels like she’s being forced to play by “different rules” than her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, amid their current split.
The former “Suits” actress’ suspicions reportedly come from the public and media reception of her actions, which she says carry a critical weight that Kate simply doesn’t face.
For example, Kate and William recently celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary with sweet 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 a few days later, taking 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 saw him lying on his father Prince Harry’s chest as a baby.
While Kate’s post left fans gushing over her cute family dynamic, Meghan was slammed for the same, with critics accusing her of “pimping their kids to stay at home.” [the] media spotlight.
Duchess of Sussex believes Princess of Wales will always be the ‘golden girl’
The source who spoke to the outlet said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex felt like “there was one set of rules for William and Kate and another for them,” then adding that “resentment over the double standard is bubbling up again.”
The insider went further, noting that Kate and William also “clearly use their children as part of the royal image and family branding,” but questioned why Harry and Meghan aren’t allowed to do the same.
“Yet Meghan has been criticized for including even the smallest glimpse of Archie and Lilibet. She feels like she’s constantly being judged by completely different rules, and no matter what she does, Kate will be the golden girl and she’ll be the bad guy,” they added.
Meghan Markle’s strained relationship with Kate Middleton affected her time at the palace
After stepping back from royal duties in 2020, Harry and Meghan made similar allegations against the royal family, including that some family members made life difficult for the As Ever founder.
His relationship with Kate also didn’t start on a good note, including a 2018 clash over bridesmaid dresses that left the future queen in tears before Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
Although Meghan claimed that Kate later apologized, her frosty relationship with the mother of three apparently took a toll on her time within the palace walls, as Kate was always the more favored wife of the two of them.
“Once word got out they weren’t getting along, everything was on the wall,” the source told the Star. “Meghan knew at that moment that her future within The Firm – as well as the UK as a whole – was doomed.”
Duchess feels her family is compared to Kate and William’s
In the meantime, discussions suggesting that the two royal families would be compared again began to arise.
Harry and Meghan recently completed a four-day tour of Australia during which they participated in charity and business projects.
After that, Kate announced she was taking a solo trip to Italy for her work in early childhood development. In fact, reports also suggest that William and Kate will likely embark on a “revenge tour” of Australia to make Harry and Meghan’s visit shine.
“There is definitely a feeling in royal circles that the competition stakes have been reignited,” the source said.
Meghan Markle reportedly frustrated by how Kate is seen as a ‘sweet’ and ‘blameless’ person
And now Meghan is even more convinced that Kate is protected by powerful forces inside the palace walls who also want to paint her as the big bad.
“Meghan has no doubt that the Welsh are still stirring things up and bashing her,” the insider noted. “That’s the main reason why this bothers and affects her so much.”
The Montecito-based royal has reportedly become frustrated that Kate continues to be seen as perfect despite the hard feelings that have ensued privately behind palace walls.
“Meghan would love to one day reveal that Kate isn’t this sweet, squeaky-clean person everyone seems to think she is,” the source added. “Meghan says their unfortunate pre-wedding confrontation was just one example of how frigid and controlling Kate can be.”