Meghan Markle Believes the Royals Wouldn't Have Put Up With Kate Being Treated Like She Was

Meghan Markle reportedly thinks that if Kate Middleton had been treated like she was, the royal family would have reacted differently.

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  • The news broke earlier this month that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were cutting ties with several major British tabloids.
  • According to the Daily Mail, Meghan reportedly said that if Kate Middleton had been met with the same treatment, the Royal Family would have put a stop to it.
  • Way back when the couple first developed their "Sussex Royal" website, they made it very clear they wouldn't be working directly and exclusively with British tabloids (the "rota" system).

When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry officially cut ties with the British media, it was both a surprise and what seemed like a sad inevitability. Even when the couple was still using their "Sussex Royal" brand name, they explained on their website that they'd no longer be using the "rota system," in which a few British publications controlled media access to the Royal Family. Now we have even more details about what potentially led to the break.

As reported in the Daily Mail, Meghan Markle has reportedly told friends that if Kate Middleton had been criticized as badly as Meghan was, the Royal Family would have stepped in and "changes would have been made." According to the source, "[Meghan said] no one would have put up with it, and the broken and outdated system would have been revised. Those outlets responsible for their vicious attacks would have been shut out."

This disparity is apparently what "irritated Meghan and Harry the most": That if the press had "constantly criticized and needlessly bashed Kate the way they did her, changes within the royal's media policy would have been made. No questions asked."

Apparently, "Harry went to his father Prince Charles and his grandmother the Queen 'constantly' about Meghan being bullied, but they 'wouldn't do anything to change the protocol,' despite seeing 'how it was tearing him apart,' according to the source."

"Meghan said they made it seem like this is the way it is, deal with it. Harry had been dealing with it far too long. She said he wasn't going to let this destroy her life and their marriage." Apparently she also said the whole thing was "infuriating."

Even though, apparently, the Royal Family was still surprised by the couple cutting ties with the British media, "Meghan said no one in the royal family should be surprised with the announcement."

kate middleton meghan markle wimbledon 2019, london, england july 13 catherine, duchess of cambridge and meghan, duchess of sussex in the royal box on centre court during day twelve of the wimbledon tennis championships at all england lawn tennis and croquet club on july 13, 2019 in london, england photo by karwai tanggetty images

Kate and Meghan at Wimbledon 2019, in happier times.

(Image credit: Karwai Tang)

Now, obviously, Kate's also been criticized throughout her connection to Prince William and the Royal Family (the press called her "Waity-Katie," since it seemed like she was just waiting around for William to propose, ugh), but it's been documented that the tremendous negativity around Meghan included comments about her status as a divorcee, her citizenship as an American, and the fact that she's biracial.

Honestly, considering how much Prince Harry has referenced his mother in all this talk of the two resigning as former royals, it's pretty evident this is how he thinks he can best protect his family.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.