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Kate Middleton responded in decisive fashion after Meghan Markle accused the royal family of racism during a 2021 interview.

At least that’s the claim being made by Robert Jobson in his forthcoming book

As you may recall, shortly after relocating to the US, Meghan sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a bombshell interview.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend day twelve of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 14, 2018 in London, England.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend day twelve of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Meghan Alleges Racism Within the Royal Family

At one point in the conversation, Meghan claimed that during her first pregnancy, a member of the royal family expressed concerns about the child’s skin tone.

She did not reveal the name of the alleged bigot, but a pro-Meghan journalist later alleged that both Kate and King Charles made remarks about Prince Archie’s complexion.

Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge stands with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at Westminster Abbey for a Commonwealth day service on March 11, 2019 in London, England.
Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge stands with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at Westminster Abbey for a Commonwealth day service on March 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Pohle – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

An unredacted foreign edition of a book by Omid Scobie claimed that Kate and Charles both expressed “concerns and conversations about how dark [her baby’s] skin might be.”

The Royals Strike Back

Now, Jobson, an author who’s more sympathetic to the royals, is addressing the issue in his new biography of Kate.

As Jobson recalls, Meghan’s interview with Oprah was so potentially damaging that Queen Elizabeth II decided to break with protocol and issue a direct statement.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive to attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on December 25, 2018 in King's Lynn, England.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive to attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on December 25, 2018 in King’s Lynn, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

“The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning,” the queen remarked.

“While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.’

The press seized on the phrase “recollections may vary” as a very queenly way of suggesting that Meghan was being dishonest.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on the long Walk at Windsor Castle arrive to view flowers and tributes to HM Queen Elizabeth on September 10, 2022 in Windsor, England. Crowds have gathered and tributes left at the gates of Windsor Castle to Queen Elizabeth II, who died at Balmoral Castle on 8 September, 2022.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on the long Walk at Windsor Castle arrive to view flowers and tributes to HM Queen Elizabeth on September 10, 2022 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Now, Jobson is claiming that it was Kate who orchestrated “the ultimate royal slapdown” by coming up with the expression.

The Kate Middleton vs. Meghan Markle Feud Rages On

Following an initial period in which the duchesses attempted to get along — or at least pretended to — Kate and Meghan have made no effort to hide their mutual contempt.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrive to attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on December 25, 2018 in King's Lynn, England.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrive to attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on December 25, 2018 in King’s Lynn, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

According to Jobson, it all began in the days before Meghan and Harry’s wedding.

“Then it emerged that, four days before the wedding, Meghan had apparently made Catherine cry during a fitting for Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid’s dress,” he writes in a new piece for The Daily Mail.

“This version was later flatly contradicted by the new Duchess of Sussex, who claimed Catherine had made her cry — and that the confrontation ‘really hurt my feelings’ and had been a ‘turning point’ in their relationship.”

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 9, 2020 in London, England.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 9, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Phil Harris – WPA Pool/Getty Images))

Jobson notes that there have been “sharp digs and thin skins on both sides” over the years.

But he says the racism allegations were the point of no return for the two warring factions.

Insiders say Harry and Meghan reached out to Kate after learning of her cancer diagnosis, but the two sides are no closer to mending fences.

And it’s looking more and more as though they’ll never patch things up.