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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle began a very private relationship back in the summer of 2016; the two first met through a mutual friend. Eventually, of course, it came time for Meghan to meet Harry’s family — one of whom was Kate Middleton, Prince William’s wife.

These days, Meghan and Kate reportedly don’t interact much — however, Meghan once recalled the first time she met the now Princess of Wales, and she had just one kind word to describe the interaction.

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle
Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle | Karwai Tang/WireImage

Meghan Markle called her first meeting with Kate Middleton ‘wonderful’

Meghan and Kate were not always at odds. When Meghan was a working royal (and even before she officially married into the family), it seemed like the two royal women were working hard to get to know one another. They shared a mutual love for Wimbledon, and two years in a row they appeared at the event together without their husbands. And when Meghan and Harry first became engaged, they described sharing quality time with William and Kate for the first time.

“William was longing to meet her and so was Catherine, so you know, being our neighbours, we managed to get that in a couple of — well quite a few times now and Catherine has been absolutely … “ Harry started, before Meghan finished his sentence for him. “Wonderful,” she chimed in, per Express.

At the start, it seemed Meghan and Kate got along well. There has been speculation that the only reason the two women ever had problems was because their husbands started to have tension, which ultimately pulled the then-duchesses apart. These days, Meghan and Kate don’t have much in common. Still, even during Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey back in 2021, Meghan made a point to say that she felt Kate was a “good person.”

Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton
Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton | Chris Jackson/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
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Could Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton have been friends?

It’s a hard question to answer. By the time Meghan and Harry started dating, there were already cracks appearing to show in Harry’s relationship with his brother. Harry and William were supposed to be the faces of the monarchy, but they had started disagreeing on issues like privacy. When Meghan and Harry were married and Meghan struggled to find her place in the family (mostly due to negative perceptions of her in the press), Harry and William became even more at odds.

But what if the brothers had been best friends? Though we can’t say for sure, perhaps the only reason Meghan and Kate aren’t close is that both women choose to support their husband in the alleged feud. Had the feud never happened, the Fab Four we once hoped would exist might be closer than ever.

Naturally, it’s all speculation, but it’s always felt a bit like Meghan and Kate each had respect for each other but never got the chance to see their relationship fully blossom.