Kate Middleton's Style Is Reportedly Simpler Now That She's Not "Competing" with Meghan Markle

Kate apparently went through a phase where she was "intimidated by Meghan."

the duke and duchess of cambridge visit ireland day two
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  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal exit is having an impact on Kate Middleton's personal style, apparently.
  • A source close to the Duchess of Cambridge told The Sun that Kate's has "gone back to a much simpler style" since Harry and Meghan's move out of the United Kingdom. 
  • The source also said that Kate no long feels like she has to "compete" with Meghan Markle now.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal exit has had a profound impact on everyone in The Firm—including Kate Middleton.

According to a source close to the Duchess of Cambridge, that impact has been for the best in Kate's case.

"Someone who knows Kate well said 'the atmosphere since the Sussexes left has noticeably improved,'" a royal insider told The Sun. "Kate does not feel she has to compete now. She has gone back to a much simpler style. Kate feels very much more relaxed now."

Apparently, Kate felt the pressure that would naturally come with the constant comparisons people made between Kate and her sister-in-law, Meghan Markle.

"She most definitely went through a phase two years ago where she seemed slightly intimidated by Meghan," the source added. "She was afraid of comparisons being drawn between them and that Meghan was the one who looked glamorous and popular for a while."

The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Visit Ireland - Day Three

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And, if this unnamed royal source is to be believed, Kate's style isn't the only thing undergoing a revamp after the Sussexes' royal exit.

Kate’s makeup artist, Arabella Preston, is now reportedly using "less eye makeup, paler lips colors and more high street nail polishes in less obvious shades. She wears far less makeup and looks happy, relaxed and sporting high street clothes."

The best part of that, of course, is the bit about Kate being happy and relaxed. Everyone deserves that.


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Weekend Editor at Cosmopolitan

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.