Sworn friends: the story of the dramatic relationship between Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton

The relationship of the two duchesses in public looks good, but how is it really? We recall the history of their friendship (and not only).

Prince Harry introduced his girlfriend Kate and niece Charlotte in January 2017. According to an unnamed source, the acquaintance went well, Kate was glad to get to know the one with whom her husband's brother is in love. Since it was Kate's birthday on January 9, Megan brought her a gift — a Smythson planner. The meeting was short, but intense.

Kate reacted positively to the announcement of the engagement of Meghan and Harry: "We are very happy," she said in an address on behalf of herself and Prince William on November 27, 2017.

When Kate was seven months pregnant with Prince Louis, in February 2017, Megan constantly visited her and gave recommendations read in the literature. And this means that at that time their relationship quickly developed into a friendly one.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge invited the couple to Anmer Hall in Norfolk. Harry and Meghan were their guests and went everywhere with them. On Christmas 2017, the two couples appeared together in public for the first time, celebrating the holiday with the royal family.

On February 28, 2018, William and Harry, as well as Kate and Meghan took part in the Royal Foundation Forum in London charity event. Harry told reporters about the relationship within the quartet:

Even at the first stages of communication, Kate said that she was ready to help Meghan with integration into royal life, and called her "a breath of fresh air." Megan, in turn, admired how Kate manages to combine charity with motherhood. By March 2018, their friendship had become strong and real.

On May 19, 2018, Harry and Meghan's wedding took place. According to rumors, before the celebration, Megan had a fight with Kate over a dress for Charlotte, who was a bridesmaid, and even brought William's wife to tears.

The first joint appearance of the Duchesses just the two of them took place on July 14, 2018 at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis tournament. Both were smiling broadly and rooting for Megan's friend Serena Williams.

In October 2018, Kate and William were overjoyed by the news that Megan was pregnant. According to an anonymous source, they offered the young couple any help, as they are very advanced in parenting issues. On November 27, 2018, Megan told the general public how great it was that George, Charlotte and Louis would have a cousin or sister (the sex of the child was not disclosed).

In November 2018, it was announced that Harry and Meghan would move into a bigger house... 50 kilometers from Kate and William. This has become the ground for rumors that the "fantastic four" are not as close friends as they seem. However, sources said that "the two women are under constant serious pressure, the attention of the public is riveted to them, and they will always be connected to each other so tightly that no one can destroy their relationship."

On December 19, both Duchesses appeared at a pre-Christmas dinner at Buckingham Palace and showed sympathy for each other. Megan hugged Kate, stood next to her — in general, did everything that is supposed to be close relatives. Nevertheless, the rumors continued to appear. Kate was said to have told the family that Meghan had taken advantage of her location to climb the "royal ladder."

The standards of behavior set by Kate are very high, and Megan often felt somewhat isolated and on the sidelines. After all, the life of an actress in the USA and a royal in the UK is quite different! In addition, the duchesses were constantly compared with each other.

In October 2019, in a documentary about a trip to Africa, Meghan revealed that she does not feel very well in the role of the duchess. Of course, this was not expressed directly, but the meaning is clear. An unnamed source said that Kate does not like that Harry and Meghan appear so unhappy in front of the public, but she tries to stay away from disputes.

Harry and Meghan decided to spend the holidays in the company of Meghan's mother Doria Regland. According to rumors, this happened more because of the strained relationship between William and Harry than because of disagreements between Megan and Kate.