After being branded as demanding and difficult by palace staff, and dealing with the rumours of constant feuding with her sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge, insiders tell New Idea that Meghan was taken aside with Kate and reprimanded by the Queen when they attended Her Majesty’s lunch last week.
“The Queen decided to use her Christmas lunch as an opportunity to pull Meghan and Kate aside and give them a good talking to,” reveals a palace source.
“Just before the meal was due to start, she took the pair into a private room and told them that they must mend their rift and stop fighting.
“She explained to them the damage they are doing to the monarchy with all this tension and drama and demanded that it stop immediately.”
According to our source, Kate and Meghan were both quite taken aback.
“They each tried to tell the Queen that the other was to blame for the rift, but Her Majesty wasn’t having any of it,” the insider continues.
“She told them to put it all to the side and start afresh and then ended the discussion.”
After the meeting, tension in the room is said to have been “unbelievable”.
“You could cut it with a knife. Meghan and Kate left very quietly and only really spoke when they were directly asked something – and they didn’t say a single word to one another,” the source added.
“Of course, they will do what the Queen wants and move towards a reconciliation, but nothing is happening straight away.
“Meghan and Kate may have been all smiles when they left, but it was a different story behind closed doors – and it’s going to be a long time until they’ve put this behind them.”
Camilla, who has been rumoured to be at the centre of the rift between the two duchesses, was not present at the function as she’s been keeping a low profile after the leaks about their feud.
For Meghan, this was yet another nail in the coffin after having received a barrage of criticism for her choice of picture used on her and Harry’s annual Christmas card.
While her arch-nemesis Kate chose a warm and friendly family portrait, Meghan opted for a black-and-white image from her wedding, which was eerily similar to her previous wedding invitation when she married her first husband, Trevor Engelson.
Not only did royal fans express their disappointment at the choice of card, but Meghan’s sister, Samantha Markle, lashed out as well.
“Interesting that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have their backs turned.
“Is this towards the world or just the Ragland and Markle family?” she tweeted.
She later went on to add: “It’s incredibly rude to turn your back in a Christmas photo that is meant to share warmth and good wishes with the world.”
It was a hard blow for Meghan, who has been trying to find her footing as a member of the royal family.
“The most difficult job in the royal family is to work with Meghan’s ambitions and make them realisable,” an insider told People magazine.
Kate, on the other hand, is well established as a future Queen and doting mother.
“They are very different.”