Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style at Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Nordstrom's Sale
    • Sarah Sherman Samuel
    • Hopeful Books
    • Nice Talk
    • Airport Dressing
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Kate Middleton "Didn't Have Much Energy to Bond" With Meghan Markle Ahead of Her Wedding

    Middleton was pregnant with Prince Louis at the time.

    Iris Goldsztajn's avatar
    By Iris Goldsztajn
    Published 18 October 2021 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    london, england july 14 catherine, duchess of cambridge and meghan, duchess of sussex attend day twelve of the wimbledon tennis championships at the all england lawn tennis and croquet club on july 14, 2018 in london, england photo by karwai tangwireimage
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    So we all know Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle aren't the best of friends by now, but according to a royal biographer, Middleton had kind of a legit reason for not being super present for Markle ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry: She had her pregnancy with Prince Louis to worry about.

    Explaining why the two duchesses weren't really set up to be close to each other, Andrew Morton, author of Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, wrote, "Kate and Meghan were neither sisters nor, unlike Fergie and Diana, friends before they joined the Royal Family" (via The Sun).

    "What is more, during the build-up to Meghan’s wedding, Kate was experiencing her third difficult pregnancy and was focused on her own welfare," Morton added. "She did not have much energy to bond with her new neighbour."

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    While we don't know how cordial the few interactions the women did have were, it only makes sense for Middleton to pay close attention to her own health during that time. She suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum—defined as a pregnancy complication "that affects various areas of the woman’s health, including homeostasis, electrolytes, and kidney function, and may have adverse fetal consequences"—during all three of her pregnancies. Louis was born just weeks before the Sussexes' wedding in May 2018.

    "When they sat together in the royal box to watch the Ladies’ Singles Final at Wimbledon in July 2018, the two women were still getting to know one another," Morton said.

    You may like
    • Meghan Markle, in a cream dress, looking down and talking to Queen Elizabeth, wearing a green dress Queen Elizabeth Once Suggested the Help of a Family Mentor for Meghan Markle
    • Pippa Middleton and Princess Kate attending a wedding in 2011 Why Princess Kate Is Skipping Pippa Middleton's Party
    • Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince George, Prince William, and Princess Kate in Scotland on August 1, 2026 Princess Kate and Prince William Aren't "Lazy"

    And here's another pretty ironclad reason why the now-sisters-in-law didn't really get to hang out during that time. "It was a practical matter as much as anything," the author continued. "Kate spent weekends and holidays at Anmer Hall, the Cambridges’ country home in Norfolk, while Meghan and Harry were approximately three hours’ drive away, living in a large, remote, rented property on the Great Tew estate in Oxfordshire."

    Morton previously empathized with Markle, saying that she must have felt "frustrated" by royal life. He also claimed that Prince William's "alleged bullying" pushed Markle and her husband to leave the UK.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    This article has been updated.

    RELATED STORIES

    Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Will and Kate Attend the ‘No Time to Die’ Premiere

    Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Duke and Duchess of Sussex

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Kate & Will Are Anxious About Harry & Meghan

    Explore More
    Princess Catherine Meghan Markle Diana Sarah, Duchess of York Prince Harry
    Iris Goldsztajn
    Iris Goldsztajn
    Social Links Navigation
    Morning Editor

    Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.

    Read more
    Meghan Markle, in a cream dress, looking down and talking to Queen Elizabeth, wearing a green dress
    Royals Queen Elizabeth Once Suggested the Help of a Family Mentor for Meghan Markle
    By Kristin Contino
    Meghan Markle wears a burgundy coat with a matching polo neck and has scraped back hair, while husband Prince Harry has red hair and wears a suit
    Royals How Meghan Markle Prioritized "The Most Important Thing"
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Queen Elizabeth wearing a pink coat and hat walking next to Princess Kate
    Royals Queen Elizabeth Admired One Important Aspect of Kate Middleton's Life
    By Kristin Contino
    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walking in front of a large sign on a building that says CLUB
    Royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle "Never Agreed" to Their Working Arrangement
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales (R) walk with their 13-year-old son, Prince George of Wales (C), as he arrives for his first day at Eton College on September 8, 2026
    Royals Prince George Might Be Forced to Deal With a "Bad Idea" at Eton
    SANDRINGHAM, NORFOLK - DECEMBER 25: Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales attend the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church on December 25, 2024 in Sandringham, Norfolk. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
    Royals Why George, Charlotte, and Louis Skipped Remembrance Sunday
     
     
    Princess Kate wearing a new coat dress for Remembrance Sunday 2026
    Royals Princess Kate's New Coat Dress Alludes to Princess Diana
    Princess Kate wears a polka dot dress and joins Prince William at The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance event at the Royal Albert Hall, in London, on November 7, 2026
    Royals Princess Kate Brings Back the Polka Dot Trend
     
     
    Latest in News
    Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales (R) walk with their 13-year-old son, Prince George of Wales (C), as he arrives for his first day at Eton College on September 8, 2026
    Royals Prince George Might Be Forced to Deal With a "Bad Idea" at Eton
    Zoe Kravitz carrying a rare vintage Fendi Baguette in New York City
    Celebrity Style Zoë Kravitz's Fendi Baguette Collection Is Growing
     
     
    Emily Ratajkowski wears a revealing Gucci white gown with a prominent leg slit and side boob
    Celebrity Style Emily Ratajkowski Delivers a New Twist on the Naked Dress
    SANDRINGHAM, NORFOLK - DECEMBER 25: Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales attend the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church on December 25, 2024 in Sandringham, Norfolk. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
    Royals Why George, Charlotte, and Louis Skipped Remembrance Sunday
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.