It’s no secret that Prince Charles and Meghan Markle have an ultra-close relationship. The Prince of Wales has even referred to her as the daughter he never had. Which is sweet, but also a bit worrisome, since his other daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton has been part of the royal family for nearly eight years (and involved with Prince William for 15 years).

Prince Charles and Kate Middleton’s relationship is much less known to the public, but we do know this: It’s complicated. Up ahead, we take a closer look at the future king’s relationship with his daughter-in-law.

Prince Charles and Kate Middleton’s relationship

With the exception of a few family feuds, the royal family keeps a relatively close relationship. However, some are closer than others. And, some prefer to keep their distance. While Prince Charles and Kate Middleton don’t avoid each other per say, they don’t share the same closeness that he and Meghan Markle have. The reason for that might stem from a few areas.

Here’s what we know about Prince Charles and Kate Middleton’s relationship.

Prince Charles urged Prince William to break up with Kate

There are many rumors surrounding Prince Charles and Kate Middleton’s relationship. One of which revolves around Prince William and Kate Middleton’s infamous breakup in 2007. In the documentary, Kate Middleton: Biography, royal biographer, Christopher Andersen shared unique insight about the breakup. “William went to his father and said, ‘Look, I’m 25, I’m too young to get married. I just don’t want to commit at this point,” he recalled. Charles allegedly encouraged him to break it off to avoid stringing her along.

While it might sound negative, Prince Charles was actually coming from a loving place and, apparently, was quite fond of Kate Middleton. “It would be unfair to the young lady [to string her along],” the future king allegedly told his son.

He was unhappy with Kate Middleton after her first trip overseas

After her royal wedding in 2011, Kate Middleton joined her new husband, Prince William on an overseas trip. And while the trip was supposed to be diplomatic, Prince Charles felt that it was too much of a personal holiday. He was reportedly unhappy with the number of photocalls the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge partook in.

Prince William gets in the way of their relationship

Prince Charles and Kate Middleton’s relationship has been called “complicated” for a number of reasons. However, one of the main causes of their ups and downs might stem from Prince William’s relationship with his father and Camilla Parker Bowles. Some reports suggest the father and son have a strained relationship.

Prince Charles is jealous of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Jealousy runs deep in the royal family and, unfortunately, Prince Charles and Kate Middleton’s relationship. Thanks to all the love and attention Prince William and Kate Middleton receive, Prince Charles feels threatened by their popularity. On top of that, he is allegedly jealous of Kate Middleton’s parents for being the more favored grandparents.

Warm greetings

Despite rumors of quarrels, Kate Middleton and Prince Charles are always polite and warm to each other in public. They often hug and kiss on the cheek when greeting each other.

Rumors

The royal family is notoriously hush-hush about their private life — which leaves a lot of us guessing about the inner workings of their relationships. Because of that, some suggest that the so-called jealousy and quarrels are rumors. The prince and duchess are always smiling together and over the years have appeared to grow closer.

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!