Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton’s relationship had all the makings of a long-term friendship — at first. Meghan and Kate were right around the same age, and although the two women had lived pretty different lives up until the day Meghan met Prince Harry, they were both well-liked and well-established young women.

However, things didn’t turn out as the public had hoped. Meghan and Kate’s potential quickly faded as their husbands, Prince Harry and Prince William, descended into what has now become a years-long feud. And while Meghan and Harry were in the process of leaving the royal family, Meghan’s relationship with Kate had already become “cold.”

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle | Samir Hussein/WireImage

Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton were ‘cold’

Meghan and Kate made a handful of appearances together while they were both in the royal family, and the two seemed to have a fine relationship. They weren’t best friends, but they didn’t have to be. They seemed to enjoy their time spent with one another. However, drama between their husbands led to the two having a difficult relationship by the time Harry and Meghan left the family.

“The relationship between Meghan and Catherine was cold or cool, putting it mildly,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told GB News, via Express. “It all went very wrong [the royal exit] … precisely why is still a matter for debate,” Fitzilliams said. “I wouldn’t put a specific reason behind it because Harry was unhappy, and I think Meghan provided the way out in a sense.”

Still, Meghan and Kate never had much of a chance to grow their relationship. They did have some things in common, including their love for tennis, but with so many complications stemming from other family drama, the two women were never very close.

Meghan Markle did once call Kate Middleton a ‘good person’

In 2021, about a year after leaving the family, Harry and Meghan sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey. During that conversation, Meghan addressed that Kate was the one who made her cry, but that the Princess of Wales later apologized and sent Meghan flowers. Meghan then referred to her as “a good person.”

Nearly four years have passed since those comments, and it’s hard to say whether Meghan still believes that. However, Meghan and Kate don’t speak in any kind of public capacity, though it’s unclear if they have even a small relationship behind closed doors. At various times in 2024, it seemed like Harry could potentially reconcile with his family, but not much has come of it. Time will tell what 2025 brings.