Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the royal family four years ago, and while many assumed they would retreat from the public eye, the opposite happened.

Their departure sparked ongoing controversy, with their revelations about the royal family keeping them in the headlines and straining their relationships with senior royals, including Kate Middleton.

Their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 marked the beginning of their public criticism of the monarchy. Meghan revealed that King Charles had refused Harry’s calls and claimed there had been discussions about how dark their son Archie’s skin would be.

The couple continued their critique through interviews, a Netflix series, and Harry’s memoir Spare, which further damaged relations with the royal family.

One of the most notable rifts involved Meghan and Kate Middleton. In their Netflix series, Meghan recalled an awkward first meeting with Kate, emphasizing cultural differences in formality.

Authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand noted that while the two duchesses were not hostile toward each other initially, their relationship never developed into a close friendship. Meghan had hoped for Kate’s support but was disappointed.