Earlier today, we reported on a rumor that Meghan Markle was far more unhappy in her life as a royal than the press and public had previously thought.
The main reason for her displeasure, it seems, was that Meghan believed she would be able to take a more active role in the global political arena, but instead found that she was expected to serve as a “voiceless figurehead,” in the words of one insider.
It’s somewhat surprising that Meghan’s expectations were so far removed from the realities of royal life, as several sources have indicated that Harry did his best to prepare her for the hard realities in the palace.
It seems that Meghan entered her marriage with the expectation of a life of activism, and was distressed to learn that she would be discouraged from voicing her opinion on matters that the Crown did not deem “politically neutral.”
Is it possible that she was misled into believing the rules would be bent to her preferences?
And if so, who’s responsible for giving the Duchess a false impression of life behind palace walls?
According to a new report from The Express, Meghan may have gotten a false impression of royal life by observing the marriage of Kate Middleton and Prince William.
Kate and Will’s marriage is far more modern than most royal unions, with a more even division of duties and responsibilities.
This move toward more egalitarian relationships between royal husbands and wives began with the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1947.
While there have been some notable regressions over the past 73 years — most notably the tumultuous marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana — it’s easy to see how an outsider would believe that the royals would continue following the rest of society on a road toward greater equality between the sexes.
And the greatest leap forward came from Will and Kate, who have been praised the world over for their thoroughly modern marriage.
One major difference between Kate and Will’s relationship and the royal marriages that came before them is the fact that despite her commoner background, Kate’s family has actively participated in palace life.
“He promised her that they’d always stay a part of the family and they have done,” an insider tells The Express.
“Whether it’s joining the Queen at Ascot or being on an important barge within the Queen’s fleet at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, they’ve been there.”
Many believe that Meghan saw this and assumed similar adjustments would be made on her behalf.
Perhaps her mother, Doria Ragland, would be permitted to participate in official royal events.
Or perhaps Meghan herself would be permitted to assume a more active role in global affairs.
There are several reasons for why neither of these hopes were realized.
For one thing, William is not yet in a position to shape royal policy.
Kate’s ambitions were not nearly as grand as Meghan’s so he received little pushback when she became one of the more publicly visible royals over the course of their marriage.
On top of that, even if Will were in a position to help Meghan realize her dreams, it seems unlikely that he would do so.
For years, it’s been rumored that William cautioned Harry against marrying Meghan.
Regardless pof whether or not that’s true, the marriage has resulted in an ongoing feud between William and Harry, as Meghan has continued to test the boundaries of life as a member of the royal family.
There have been hopes that the relationship between the brothers would begin to repair now that they’re living on different continents.
Thus far, however, the conflict has continued to worsen, and William remains 100 percent on the side of the Crown.
