Palace tries to prevent ‘competition’ between Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and Prince William amid ‘feud’, claims royal author
THE palace deliberately tries to “avoid diary clashes” between Harry, Meghan, William and Kate, to prevent “competition”, a royal author has claimed.
Katie Nicholl, author of Harry and Meghan, said courtiers are keen to avoid the couples being “pitted against each other”.
Both the Cambridges and the Sussexes have announced they will be going on royal tours in autumn, in Pakistan and South Africa respectively, and Katie said date clashes will be avoided at all costs.
She told Fabulous Digital: “We are still waiting for the dates so we don’t know if there will be an overlap.
“I would expect the palace would have tried to have planned it so there weren’t be too many clashes as the Cambridges will be putting the spotlight on Pakistan and the Sussexes will be shining their light on Africa.
“I think that’s why where couriers can avoid diary clashes they will, because they’ll be keen to avoid any sense of competition between the couples.”
Katie said that with the splitting of the royal households, and more recently of the royal foundation divide, it is likely that clashes will naturally occur.
She said: “With two very busy working royal couples, inevitably they will be away doing tours and engagements and official duties that will at times clash in the diary.
“I think that’s just the way it’s going to be.
“The whole point of splitting the household and splitting the foundations is so they can each pursue their own trajectories.
“What courtiers will be hoping is that aren’t going to be any future clashes or conflict of interest or the chance to pit one couple against the other.”
Fans have also been commenting on how there has been competition between the couples’ two royal Instagram accounts @SussexRoyal and @KensingtonPalace.
In May, the Cambridges have been accused of “one-upmanship” after they shared an intimate Instagram post shortly after the Sussexes did the same.
On their Instagram account, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a series of unseen pictures from their wedding day on May 19 last year.
And then the same evening three new photos were posted on the Kensington Royal account of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children in a rare series of off-duty snaps as they explored Kate’s garden.
It just so happened that the launch of Kate’s plot and the Sussexes' anniversary fell on the same day, but some have accused the couples of trying to out do one another amid rumours of a royal rift.
Katie said: “They have different roles in the royal family and going their own way. It makes sense for the Sussexes to have their own Instagram.
“Of course, by having a separate account there is always the potential to compare followers and content. Is that helpful for the couples? No.
“It’s hard to say. It is inevitable that comparisons are made.”
And thanks to the Sussexes hiring an expert to run their Instagram, Katie thinks the Sussex account could eventually eclipse the Cambridges'.
She said: “I think there is the potential that on Instagram they might well have more followers than the Cambridges but they don’t at the moment so they will watch, wait and see.”
The palace has been contacted for comment by Fabulous Digital.
Rift rumours started when Harry and Meg left their home within the Kensington Palace estate where they were living in close proximity to Kate and Wills before they gave birth to baby Archie.
But the two brothers reportedly fell out after William's concerns over Meghan Markle reportedly "went down quite badly" his brother.
Speaking to Fox News, Katie said: "William was concerned about how quickly the relationship had moved and wanted to make sure that Harry was making the right decision."
More on the royal family
Last November, The Sun exclusively revealed that Meghan "left Kate in tears" over her strict demands for Princess Charlotte's bridesmaid dress.
We also shared how "controlling" Meghan "is auditioning nannies but is refusing to hand over care of Archie".
Meanwhile, the Queen is astonished and very impressed by "Hurricane" Meghan Markle’s work ethic, royal author claims.