How rumours of Meghan Markle’s ‘rows’ with Kate Middleton upset Duchess as she struggled to adapt to royal life and traditions
GLOWING in a H&M maternity dress, the Duchess of Sussex looked in full control this week.
Finally, Meghan was able to tell the world about the new charities she has adopted and the great work she wants to do.
All that, plus baby Sussex’s arrival is only three months away, in April. But just a month ago, it was a different story.
Meg, 37, was struggling to adapt to stuffy royal life and not being able to hit back at those briefing against her.
She was branded “Duchess difficult”, with “emails to her staff at 5am”, and “had made Kate cry”. She could do no right.
A pal says: “Did this upset her? Of course it did.
“She was working on all her projects in private, but couldn’t say anything publicly as her patronages hadn’t been announced.
“Since she shut down her public Instagram, she’d had a fake account to follow her friends.
“There was some really vile stuff written by social media trolls and obviously she also saw the headlines about her.
“It really got to her and, in the end, she had to shut down that account just before Christmas, too, to protect her mental health. She felt very isolated and alone.”
The Duchess also feared for her personal safety.
The pal says: “She doesn’t feel safe enough to go out on her own without protection.
“There are certain things she’s extremely paranoid about, such as being physically attacked.
“Harry has fed into this — he’s hugely protective and doesn’t want her to be put at any risk, so that understandable worry has made her very uneasy.
“There is no way she’d consider putting her personal safety and that of her unborn child at risk.”
Spectre of Diana looms large
Royal women often find it tough marrying in to the Firm but, for Meghan, it has been extra bruising.
Even for someone with a Hollywood background, it is very difficult stepping into a world where every action is scrutinised.
And, of course, the spectre of Diana looms large.
She was a moderniser who wanted to use her position to effect change, but who struggled to adapt to the strictures of royal life.
The friend says: “Harry is very conscious of this and therefore very protective of Meg.
“He doesn’t want his new wife to be made to feel like his mother did.
“She’s massively upset by the briefings against her and feels very much under attack when all she’s trying to do is what’s expected.
“She’s not trying to change things. People think she’s trailblazing, or wanting to, but that’s not the case and she’s very mindful of tradition.”
Kate was allowed the time to slowly adapt. No one wanted another Diana, thrown to the wolves and expected to be a fully fledged royal immediately.
Meghan has also been left bewildered about the reaction to her work ethic.
As a successful actress and lifestyle blogger who has always done humanitarian work, she was used to juggling a lot of plates.
As one friend puts it: “She’s very American. She’s direct, outspoken and likes to get things done.
“Perhaps it’s this that has put some British noses out of joint. She doesn’t just talk about things, she actually does them.”
This is more than evident in the preparation work Meghan did for her four new patronages.
Meghan's Royal duties
For Smart Works — which helps vulnerable women get back to work through confidence coaching and a new wardrobe — Meghan visited the charity four or five times privately.
She even personally coached some of the women and donated some of her own clothes and bags.
Visiting London animal charity Mayhew this week, chief exec Caroline Yates revealed Meghan had approached them, rather than vice versa, and visited twice last year.
Fact-finding missions to the National Theatre and the Association of Commonwealth Universities were also quietly arranged.
In contrast, the Duchess of Cambridge rarely if ever, makes private visits to her charities.
Indeed, Kate had a somewhat easier entrance into royal life.
A royal source says: “Kate was allowed the time to slowly adapt. No one wanted another Diana, thrown to the wolves and expected to be a fully fledged royal immediately.
“Kate was given time to adjust and be a wife and then mother with not too much royal work.
“But Meghan was older and left one job and started another one immediately.”
Family spat rumours
Meghan’s family background has also proved tricky. Her dad Thomas Markle famously failed to come to his daughter’s wedding and has continually spoken out against his daughter.
Her half-brother and sister have also sneered publicly about her.
The insider says: “Meghan has struggled. She feels the public think she must never overshadow Kate or never make the palace look bad.”
“That’s why she was so mortified about her father speaking out.”
Still, the truth behind the Meghan and Kate “feud” is quite dull.
As I previously revealed in the Sun, the two women have little in common and are not close friends.
Meghan felt slightly let down when she first moved to the UK that Kate couldn’t be the new BFF to help her navigate the royal role, as Kate was pregnant and busy with her own family.
But the two women do have a civil relationship and, in fact, they have tried to improve things between Harry and William — with little success so far.
The brothers are barely talking and have not spent time together privately since the Royal Wedding.
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One friend says headstrong Harry is determined to break free from his brother with the move from Kensington Palace to Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate.
The pal adds: “Harry and Meghan are pulling away from the way William and Kate do things. Meghan is in a very good place at the moment, with work and the baby.
“This is everything she and Harry wanted — a baby on the way and the platform to change the world. They want to make a difference.”
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