Lilibet's Birth Might Be The Bridge That Heals The Rift Between Kate Middleton And Meghan Markle

Jul 09, 2021

The past few years have been especially tumultuous for the royal family. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced in January 2020 that they would be taking a step back from their roles as senior royals, the couple moved to Southern California and the duo openly criticized their own family in multiple interviews. During the same period, Queen Elizabeth II lost her “strength and stay,” Prince Philip, who died on April 9 at 99 years old. Given these seismic shifts in the royal family — both at home in London and abroad in California — it’s no wonder that there has been an uptick in familial conflict. A widening rift between brothers, revelations regarding Prince Diana’s infamous Panorama interview, the death of one of the nation's most important figures and internal criticisms have made it seem like the family is coming apart.

With that said, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrival might be just the thing to help royals in London bridge the gap that has emerged between the U.K. and Harry and Meghan. In fact, US Magazine reported that Kate Middleton has been reaching out to Meghan more following the birth of the Montecito-based mother’s second child.

In this way, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, may be able to fill Philip’s shoes as the peacemaker that keeps the royal family together — even during this rather chaotic and somber period in the family’s history.

Meghan opened up regarding her relationship with Kate in the bombshell March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. During the interview, she explained that the tabloids strained their relationship further. But that was before Lilibet’s arrival, which might allow the two to reconnect.

“Kate has been reaching out to Meghan a lot more since (Lilibet) was born, she’s sending (notes and) gifts and trying to build up a relationship,” the anonymous royal insider told US Weekly. “The firm has been instructing staffers to reach out more to Harry and Meghan to get them to soften a bit.”

The notion that Kate might be playing the peacemaker in an effort to hold the family together isn’t a new one.

Vanity Fair’s royal editor Katie Nicholl spoke to Kate’s role as the “glue” of the family and her growing importance on a May 23 episode of “60 Minutes Australia.” Nicholl not only addressed the idea that Kate might hold the family together, but she also touched on the possibility that the duchess and her husband might supersede Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla in the line of royal succession.

The segment, titled “Kate the Great,” saw Nicholl respond to the notion that Kate might be one of the royal family’s biggest assets during this period of royal infighting.

“I think Kate is the glue. In the same way that the Duke of Edinburgh was always the one who would help resolve family issues,” Nicholl explained.

Nicholl also addressed the possibility that Kate and William might ascend to the throne in front of Charles and Camilla, who are officially ahead of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. This sort of speculation comes after Kate and William’s remarkable popularity in the U.K.

“But the idea of breaking constitution — and that is essentially everything the royal family is built upon — is really something that’s not going to happen,” Nicholl added.

For fans and experts who have been following the royal family since Kate was first pictured with William on a ski trip in 2004, the very idea that the Duchess of Cambridge is taking a central role in the family might come as a surprise. As Nicholl explains, many people overlooked Kate and thought of her as a mere accessory to the royal family early on.

“(Kate) has played it safe, and that has earned her criticism. Hilary Mantel, the author, once described her as a ‘mannequin,’ that she didn’t have her own opinion, that she was just this bit part in the sidelines,” Nicholl said in the “60 Minutes Australia” interview. 

“I think that was to underestimate Kate greatly. I think actually she has simply bided her time, and now with ten years of royal service under her belt, we are hearing from her more, we are seeing more of her,” Nicholl added. “The royal family realized they have a really important key player here, and they are bringing her center stage. So we have seen a shift.”

What is, therefore, likely to happen, according to Nicholl’s analysis, is that Charles and Camilla will be the next royals to take the throne, leaving Kate and William next in line. But given that Kate is relatively young at 39 years old, she is likely to eventually take on the role of queen consort to King William V.

But for now, it seems that Kate will continue in her role as a peacemaker, as she tries to re-establish a friendship with Meghan following Lilibet’s arrival.

Do you think Kate and Meghan will make up? Why or why not? Let us know — and pass this story on to friends and family members.