Princess of Wales recovering from abdominal surgery as father-in-law King Charles battles cancer
Meghan, Kate were never friends: expert
True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Bullen says the Duchess of Sussex and the Princess of Wales were "too different" and that a bond never formed between the royal wives.
Reports are saying that Meghan Markle has extended an olive branch to Princess Kate Middleton, but some royal watchers aren't buying it.
"This allegation is not true," Kinsey Schofield, host of the "To Di For Daily" podcast, told Fox News Digital. "Meghan Markle has not been in contact with the Princess of Wales. As the princess is currently in recovery, it would be a highly inappropriate time for Meghan to do any outreach."
"Catherine is currently dipping her toes back into her routine," Schofield said, "navigating light communication, i.e. emails, approving scheduling and household duties. Having to navigate the hurricane that is Meghan Markle is not on her agenda."
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According to multiple reports, Meghan Markle, right, extended an olive branch to her sister-in-law, Princess Kate Middleton, left. But several royal experts aren't buying it. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
The Daily Mirror in the U.K. recently reported that Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, reached out to her sister-in-law after Markle's husband, Prince Harry, traveled across the pond to visit his father, King Charles III, after the new monarch was recently diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer.
The outlet said that Markle, an American former actress, "contacted" the princess and "moves are being made behind the scenes."
A source also told Us Weekly that Markle attempted peace talks with Princess Kate, 42, and her father-in-law.
Kate Middleton, left, and Meghan Markle are shown attending a Wimbledon match in London on July 14, 2018. (Karwai Tang/WireImage)
"Moves are being made to reconcile," the insider told the outlet. Another source said, "Meghan is supportive of Harry in all of this, and she wishes the royals – Kate included – the very best."
Schofield isn't fazed.
"Meghan Markle and the Princess of Wales will never be friends," Schofield said. "Prince Harry solidified that with the publication of his memoir, ‘Spare,’ although Meghan Markle originally crossed the line with the … complaints disguised as being the bigger person via the Oprah Winfrey interview. Despite the betrayal, Harry will always have a place in Catherine’s heart because she … knew a very different Harry."
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From left: Kate, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (Kirsty OConnor/WPA Pool)
"There is no love lost with Meghan Markle," Schofield added.
During her sit-down with Winfrey in 2021, Markle, now 42, addressed reports that she left Princess Kate in tears leading up to her 2018 royal wedding due to a disagreement over bridesmaid dresses.
"The reverse happened," said the former "Suits" star.
After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020, they gave a televised interview to Oprah Winfrey in 2021. (Chris Jackson)
"And I don’t say that to be disparaging to anyone, because it was a really hard week of the wedding, and she was upset about something," Markle continued. "But she owned it, and she apologized, and she brought me flowers and a note apologizing. I actually think it’s – I don’t think it’s fair to her to get into the details of that because she apologized. And I’ve forgiven her."
Markle described Princess Kate as "a good person" and said people shouldn’t pit them against each other.
"If you love me, you don’t have to hate her," said Markle. "And if you love her, you don’t have to hate me."
Police officers stand guard outside the London Clinic after the Princess of Wales underwent planned surgery in London on Jan. 18, 2024. (Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu)
On Jan. 29, Buckingham Palace announced that Princess Kate had left a private London hospital where she had been staying for weeks. The mother of three had abdominal surgery for an undisclosed condition. It was the same central London hospital where the king, 75, went to treat an enlarged prostate.
On Feb. 5, the palace announced that the king was diagnosed with cancer and had started treatment. The palace noted that the cancer is not related to his benign prostate condition.
Royal photographer and broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that rumors of Markle attempting to reconcile with Princess Kate are not true.
True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Bullen previously told Fox News Digital that the royal wives were never friends. (Richard Pohle/WPA Pool)
"Meghan’s track record of building bridges with her own family and friends is pretty much non-existent," she said. "It is, however, in Meghan’s interest to show compassion, humility and make amends with the British royal family as both Harry and Meghan heavily lean on their royal titles. I’m sure Meghan would also like to win back some fans."
"Harry has let it be known that Meghan shares his concerns for the king and Kate Middleton as they both cope with serious health issues," Christopher Andersen, author of "The King," also told Fox News Digital.
"That said, there is no indication that either side is ‘reaching out’ to the other in any significant way," he said. "People are understandably glomming onto any vague sign that Harry and Meghan will be welcomed back into the bosom of the royal family. So far, there is no credible evidence that a thaw seems to be happening, especially not between Meghan and Kate."
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Princess Kate was last seen in public on Christmas Day. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
On Feb. 12, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quietly launched their new Sussex website. It encompasses the latest news about the pair as well as links to the Archewell Foundation organization and Archewell Productions hub. The website also includes Markle’s coat of arms, which incorporates Harry’s crest.
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that whether the reports are true or not, it would make sense for the couple to attempt peace talks.
"It makes great sense to me to have Harry and Meghan back," he said. "They have a … star quality similar to the late Princess Grace of Monaco. They also ... have a common touch in their DNA, which is what all the photo opportunities and PR messaging the royal family is trying to establish. It is a work in progress."
Prince William is seen leaving the London Clinic after visiting his wife, Princess Kate, on Jan. 18, 2024. (Max Mumby/Indigo)
"I’m sure … Meghan can forgive the defamatory stories and support her sister-in-law," he shared.
Harry has had a troubled relationship with his family since he quit royal duties in 2020 and moved to California with his wife, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. He showed up alone for his father’s coronation in May but left as soon as the ceremony ended to return to the U.S. for his son’s birthday.
Following their departure as senior royals, Harry and his wife aired their complaints about life as royals. In 2021, they sat down with Winfrey for an interview that was viewed by 50 million people globally. After releasing a six-part docuseries on Netflix in 2022, Harry’s memoir, "Spare," hit bookshelves in 2023, quickly becoming a bestseller.
MEGHAN MARKLE, KATE MIDDLETON'S RELATIONSHIP IS 'NONEXISTENT,' THEY WERE NEVER FRIENDS
Prince Harry's bestselling memoir, "Spare," was published in 2023. (Justin Tallis/AFP)
True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Bullen previously told Fox News Digital that the royal wives were never friends.
"There wasn’t really any relationship between the two of them," said Bullen. "It was the brothers – Prince William and Prince Harry – who were falling out, not the sisters-in-law, not the wives."
Bullen is an award-winning documentarian who has been producing programs about the British royal family for 20 years. He has also worked closely with the king for about a decade.
King Charles leaves the London Clinic on Jan. 29 after undergoing a corrective procedure for a benign prostate enlargement. It was during this procedure that it was discovered he had cancer. Reports said that following the diagnosis, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex extended an olive branch to the royal family. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Bullen said that despite the women putting on a brave face for the public, it was difficult for them to develop any kind of bond behind palace doors.
"I was talking to someone very early on in the Sussex marriage who had been at a dinner with Kate and had been asking about Meghan," Bullen said. "And Kate just said, ‘She’s just really different [from] the rest of us,’ and not in a negative way. They just didn’t have lots in common."
"Kate is sort of a well-to-do English girl who hadn’t really had many jobs and had married her prince," he said. "Whereas Meghan was a divorced career woman from L.A. They’re just different. So, I think the relationship … was never really there as we, as the world, were hoping. We hoped it would be those shots of them going to Wimbledon together. … [But] you’d be hard [pressed] to find moments when it was just the two of them coming together."
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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attends the Invictus Games One Year To Go Winter Training Camp at Hillcrest Community Centre on Feb. 16, 2024, in Vancouver, Canada. (Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Bullen added that the little relationship the wives had developed "had broken down long before the death of the queen."
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, died in 2022 at age 96.
"I think after the death of the queen, there wasn’t really a relationship to break down," said Bullen. "I don’t think it was there in the first place."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com.
