Kate, Princess of Wales, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, appear together in December 2018. Photo / AP
Kate, Princess of Wales, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, appear together in December 2018. Photo / AP
Kate Middleton can often be seen cheering on Prince William on the polo field - and yesterday was no different as he took part in the Royal Charity Polo Cup 2023.
But the Wales’ PDA-packed appearance was very different from the match they attended in 2019, when Kate was joined by Meghan Markle on a “mums’ day out” to watch William and Harry play together.
According to the Daily Mail, the now-Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex’s relationship was said to be “fraught” from the moment Meghan entered the monarchy.
Prince William, Princess Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Royal Foundation Forum in 2018. Photo / AP
Their day out at the polo was reportedly intended to show a united front after months of tension between the two couples.
It was rare for Meghan and Kate to be seen together in this setting, as they would typically only appear together at official engagements including the entire royal family.
Rumours of a rift among the “Fab Four” had been circulating for months, as the Sussexes had recently parted ways from their joint Royal Foundation with the Waleses, taking one of their most valued aides with them.
The couples tried to mend their rift in a meeting, during which Kate told Meghan she was hurt when the Duchess of Sussex said she had “baby brain”.
Meghan and her son Archie attend the King Power Royal Charity Polo Day alongside Kate Middleton and Louis in 2019. Photo / Getty Images
Speculation of a fallout continued to grow when it was announced that the Sussexes would move from Kensington Palace to Frogmore Cottage.
A source told Vanity Fair at the time, “Kate and Meghan are very different people and they don’t have a lot in common but they have made an effort to get along.”
Meghan was reportedly “very sensitive” about being “number two” to Kate, with royal writer Tom Quinn going so far as to say that she disagreed with Palace staff over “getting the attention she deserved”.
And according to Finding Freedom authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the polo match outing portrayed the two women’s “cordial but distant rapport”.
The sisters-in-law had struggled to get over the “distant politeness” of their first meeting, according to the biography.
“While the doting mothers were photographed next to each other with their children, the two appeared to barely exchange a word,” the authors wrote.
Photos from the event show Meghan and Kate standing at a distance from each other, as the Duchess of Sussex cuddles a newborn Archie and kisses his forehead.
Kate, meanwhile, spent most of the match keeping her three children entertained as they raced around the pitch and chased a football.
Prince Louis entertained his mum and aunt with his cheeky antics at the polo. Photo / Getty Images
The two royals appeared to barely interact, despite standing near each other for part of the match.
One moment that potentially broke the ice was when 1-year-old Louis snatched his mum’s sunglasses and stuck his tongue out at his aunt, prompting a giggle between Kate and Meghan.
Kate’s appearance at yesterday’s match was much more low-key, following her joint appearance with William at King Charles’ Scottish coronation in Edinburgh earlier this week.
