There was a time — not all that long ago, in fact — when many royal watchers were hopeful that the Windsor clan would bury the hatchet during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Obviously, that didn’t happen.
Instead, the tensions between the warring factions are rising as rapidly as temperatures throughout the UK!
(Shout-out to our readers across the pond as they endure an oppressive heat wave. Perhaps celebrity gossip should be the only hot tea you enjoy for the next few days!)
There are those who claim that relations between the British and American branches of the royal family are at an all-time low following the Jubilee.
Some say Meghan and Harry’s haughty behavior is to blame, while others insist that the Queen and company gave the Sussexes the cold shoulder from the moment they arrived in London.
Whatever the case, a new book reminds us that Harry and Meghan were persona non grata at Buckingham Palace long before this summer’s celebrations.
According to Tom Brooks, author of the upcoming Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between The Windsors, the Queen openly expressed relief after it was revealed that Meghan would not be in attendance at the funeral of her husband, Prince Philip.
“’Thank goodness Meghan is not coming,’ the monarch said in a clear voice to her trusted aides,” Brooks quotes the Queen as saying.
It’s unclear why the Queen was so relieved, but it’s safe to say it had something to do with all the tabloid-friendly drama in which her family was immersed at the time.
For her part, Meghan stayed in the US not because of any ill will toward her in-laws, but rather because she was in the third trimester of her second pregnancy, which means a long international flight would not have been a good idea.
“Meghan will be staying in California. She can’t go on doctor’s orders,” a source told Us Weekly ahead of the funeral.
“She is too far along to fly and it’s recommended she rest in the final months.”
Of course, Meghan might have had other reasons for steering clear of the UK, as well.
As the Platinum Jubilee reminded us, she’s got a lot of haters in Jolly Old England.
Although it’s worth noting that the Sussexes have their fair share of critics in the US, as well.
According to a new report from Closer, Meghan has rubbed some of her neighbors the wrong way by demanding special treatment in local establishments.
Of course, these requests are likely part of a larger effort to ensure the Duchess’ safety, but regardless, Meghan’s fellow SoCal citizens have demonstrated their disdain by giving her the derisive nickname “the Princess of Montecito.”
Fortunately, Meghan seems unbothered by the moniker, and an insider tells the outlet that she’s keeping very busy these days.
“There’s a lot more going on in Meghan’s world than people think, she just keeps it very private these days but her royal status gives her a lot of leverage,” says the insider.
“She spends most of her time in Montecito, but she heads into LA every week or so,” the source adds.
“Meghan loves driving around LA to go to the same hiking trails that she used to visit back in the day, well off the beaten track. Often she’ll head off just herself and the dogs, which gives her time to reflect.”
Obviously, only Meghan knows where her thoughts take her during those long walks.
But hopefully, the haters are far from her mind.