Kate Middleton And Meghan Markle's Reported Fallout May Have Been Caused By The Palace's Strict Wardrobe Protocols

The reported feud or rift between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle allegedly began in 2017, as She Knows reports, over a couture designer who was in demand by both the Princess of Wales and Duchess of Sussex.

The two working royals apparently sought after London designer Erdem Moralioglu, but royal ranking supposedly made the British label’s designs more accessible to Princess Kate at the time.

READ MORE: Remember When Meghan Markle And Kate Middleton Wore The Same Dress? We Do!

Kate Middleton & Meghan Markle’s Love For Erdem Moralioglu

According to The Telegraph, Markle historically loved Moralioglu’s creations as the former actress frequently donned the designer’s pieces while starring on Suits for seven years. Markle also donned garments from Moralioglu in her personal life apart from her on-set costumes.

After marrying Prince Harry in 2018 and joining the royal family, Markle reportedly found out that her sister-in-law would have more of a priority when it came to designs from the brand and the ability to wear them for public royal engagements. The outlet reports that Markle also had to get behind Middleton to even see his latest line.

“Erdem Moralioglu was one of Meghan’s absolute favorites, but even after Harry had put a ring on it, Kate, who was already a client, continued to get priority,” the UK publication explained. Since Princess Kate will one day be queen, she received “first dibs on designers,” but this didn’t seem to make her relationship with Markle any easier.

Did The Palace & Its Protocols Pit The Women Against Each Other?

As Prince Harry noted in his Spare press junket and as She Knows points out, royal women seem to be protected the least by the palace and often are the subject of unfair headlines and coverage while some of the men (such as Prince Andrew) seem to have it much easier.

The royal protocols, especially when it comes to wardrobe, can be “challenging to adhere to” She Knows notes, so, eliminating one favored designer for Markle when joining a new family could have been difficult. As the site writes, “it’s almost as if the palace structure pitted Middleton and Markle against each other from the get-go instead of fostering a supportive sisterhood.”

Both Middleton and Markle have long being considered style icons and have donned similar silhouettes and ensembles (making this shared-favorite-designer-causing-rift theory all the more convincing…)