Kate Middleton reportedly had access to a royal family privilege that Meghan Markle never received. The claim has sparked fresh intrigue surrounding the contrasting experiences of senior royals. The royal daughters-in-law have taken different paths, with the Princess of Wales continuing her work as a senior royal while the Duchess of Sussex stepped back and now resides in California.
Kate Middleton reportedly had an advantage before joining the royal family, which Meghan Markle didn’t get
Joining the royal family is presumed to include time to learn its protocols and traditions. But a prominent expert says that was not the case for everyone.
Royal historian Marlene Koenig told The Mirror that the failed marriages of then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana, as well as former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, taught the royal family an important lesson. Both relationships, she noted, unfolded without the couples having enough time to properly court or get to know each other before marriage, per Grazia.
That difficult past, reportedly, led to a shift. The British royal family instead embraced the idea that couples needed genuine time together to understand what royal life entails day to day.
According to Koenig, Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and later Prince William and Princess Catherine, cohabited prior to their weddings. That period of everyday life together, the historian noted, let the women experience royal life up close.
Meghan Markle, however, reportedly did not live with Prince Harry before marriage. The historian argued that shared time beforehand would have helped the “As Ever” founder acclimate. By most accounts, her transition into the monarchy was far more abrupt.
Koenig also commented on how Meghan Markle adapted to royal life. The historian highlighted that the Duchess struggled with some of the institution’s rules. She suggested that a longer pre-marriage period in the institution might have lessened that strain and helped the “Suits” alum to make a more informed choice about navigating protocol.
The royal expert further noted that Prince William was right to tell his brother to take things slowly, considering the family’s earlier high-profile marital breakdowns.
