Meghan Markle’s Response to Princess Kate’s Italy Visit Sparks Fresh Feud Speculation

Catherine, Princess of Wales recently arrived in northern Italy for her first overseas visit since recovering from cancer, marking another major step in her return to public life.

Royal fans have warmly welcomed her reappearance this year, and the solo trip has been widely seen as a sign that the Princess is regaining her confidence and energy following an incredibly difficult period of treatment and recovery.

However, according to insiders, the timing of the visit may not have been welcomed by everyone—particularly Meghan Markle, who only recently returned from a high-profile Australian tour with Prince Harry.

One source claimed: “From Meghan’s perspective, the timing couldn’t be more obvious. She and Harry have just come back from this great overseas trip [to Australia] and they’re finally getting some positive press, and suddenly Kate’s everywhere again.”

The insider continued: “She doesn’t believe for one second it’s a coincidence that right after she and Harry have a successful trip overseas, Kate is taking one of her own.”

According to the source, Meghan Markle reportedly feels that the so-called “royal machine” tends to overshadow her—particularly during moments when she and Prince Harry begin receiving positive attention. The source also claims Meghan believes Catherine, Princess of Wales has been “competitive” with her from the very beginning.

They added: “Meghan says this whole rollout of appearances and projects by Kate is a calculated move to shift the focus back onto her and the monarchy. Meghan has always said that Kate was unnecessarily competitive with her from the first time they met, and as far as she’s concerned, this is more of the same.”

“It’s clear she’s trying to re-establish her territory and Meghan is convinced it’s because Kate is feeling threatened. Meghan says every time she and Harry start building momentum, the royal machine suddenly swings into action and steals the spotlight away from them again, and she’s sick and tired of it.”

READ MORE: Princess Kate Sparks David Attenborough Comparisons During Italy Visit

With just two months to go before Prince Harry is expected to return to the UK for the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games 2027, speculation is growing that he hopes to meet privately with King Charles III during the visit—a move many would see as another step toward reconciliation.

Against that backdrop, insiders claim Harry is now trying to play peacemaker and ease any growing tension before Meghan Markle’s reported frustration further fuels her alleged rift with Catherine, Princess of Wales.

The source explained: “Harry has been left trying to calm the whole thing down. He’s the first to accuse the Palace of unfair treatment but in this case, he’s not convinced it’s as cut and dried as Meghan’s assuming.”

“He’s pointed out that it’s very likely that this trip to Italy would have been planned months ago; that’s the way protocol for an overseas trip usually works.”

However, according to the insider, Meghan reportedly sees the situation differently. “Meghan isn’t really interested in hearing the practical explanation because from her perspective this fits a pattern that she’s been pointing out for years.”

It has now been almost four years since Meghan Markle and Catherine, Princess of Wales were last seen together publicly at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. Since Meghan’s relationship with Harry first became public in 2017, the two women have frequently been compared in the media.

Among the most widely discussed moments was the now-infamous “bridesmaid dress” disagreement ahead of Harry and Meghan’s wedding, during which Meghan faced claims that she had made Kate cry over concerns surrounding Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress fitting.

During her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle addressed long-standing reports about a disagreement with Catherine, Princess of Wales ahead of her wedding, claiming the story had been misrepresented and that it was actually Kate who had upset her.

Prince Harry later revisited the incident in his memoir Spare, writing that he found Meghan “on the floor” in tears after a disagreement over last-minute changes to the bridesmaid dresses and whether the flower girls, including Princess Charlotte, should wear tights.

Now, six years after stepping back as senior working royals, insiders claim Meghan still feels unfairly scrutinised while Kate continues to enjoy overwhelmingly positive public support as the monarchy’s modern “people’s princess.”

The source alleged: “What really gets on Meghan’s nerves is the way Kate always seems to receive this automatic wave of praise and goodwill, whereas Meghan still feels she’s picked apart and criticised no matter what she does.”

“She still feels there was always this unspoken hierarchy where Kate was treated as the golden girl while she was left exposed to criticism and expected to just absorb it quietly.”

According to the insider, the Sussexes had recently felt encouraged by the positive reaction to their Australian tour, which drew large crowds and was widely praised by supporters, with many describing it as a “quasi royal tour.”

But with Catherine, Princess of Wales now receiving widespread attention and praise for her Italy visit—particularly because it marks her first major overseas engagement since her cancer diagnosis in 2024—the source claims Meghan feels she is once again being overshadowed.

The insider continued: “The Australia trip was one of the rare moments where Meghan finally felt like the positive reaction outweighed the negativity, and she was genuinely excited by that. So watching attention immediately shift back onto Kate has been hugely deflating for her emotionally.”

“It’s stirred up a lot of old resentment and reopened wounds Meghan never truly got over from her time inside the royal family. But she says she’s done playing that game, she won’t be used as a pawn or stuck in the background anymore.”

Still, according to the source, Meghan Markle—who King Charles III is said to have once nicknamed “Tungsten” because of her resilience—has become even more determined to prove that she and Prince Harry can succeed on their own terms.

The insider claimed: “She’s told friends that this has only made her more determined to arrange more royal-style tours to prove that she and Harry can have just as much impact, if not more, as Kate and William.”

“In her view, the fact that their Australia trip provoked this sort of swift and dramatic reaction from the palace proves that they’re on the right track.”

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