Kate Middleton Tried To Help Meghan Feel Welcome In The Royal Family — One Wimbledon Trip Showed It
Numerous reports claim Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton did not hit it off initially. Their relationship reportedly suffered after the bridesmaid dress incident that unfolded before the Suits actress’s wedding to Prince Harry. While the Duchess of Sussex had claimed Middleton was allegedly not welcoming enough toward her, a body language expert has suggested otherwise, pointing to their Wimbledon outing from years ago.
The Princess of Wales, who has been a regular at Wimbledon since her wedding to Prince William in 2011, was accompanied by Markle twice in both 2018 and 2019. Their first appearance at the prestigious sporting event was an iconic one as it marked one of Markle’s first steps to becoming a working senior royal. During the match in which Serena Williams lost out to Angelique Kerber, Markle and Middleton could be seen sitting together and frequently sharing their thoughts on the game.
They cheered from the stands together, looking visibly happy. Analyzing their body language, expert Darren Stanton claimed Middleton was doing her best to make Markle comfortable in her new family. According to the Scottish Daily Express, the body language expert opined, “They’re matching and mirroring each other and leaning in towards each other.” Praising Middleton for her efforts, Stanton continued, “At that time, I think Kate was doing her utmost to make Meghan feel welcome and ease her into the way of royal life. They seem to be getting on really well. Kate was doing her best to reassure her new sister-in-law as she found her feet.”
Stanton also highlighted a major difference between the two sisters-in-law, claiming that Middleton was much more confident than Markle, who had entered the family only a few months ago. He shared, “The main difference between Kate and Meghan is confidence. Meghan is in the infancy of her marriage to Harry.” In Stanton’s view, the With Love, Meghan star appeared naive. He said, “Everything is shiny and new. I think there is a real naivety and a sense of being unsure of what to do and what not to do. Everything was so fresh and new for Meghan. She was new to all the protocols.” On the contrary, Middleton, an avid tennis fan and a patron of the All England Club, came across as 'really confident and genuine with her smiles.'
The body language expert’s analysis contradicted Markle’s previous claims when she called out the Princess of Wales for not supporting her. In the Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, Markle also shared the ‘jarring’ details of her first meeting with Middleton and William. Per Newsweek, she said, “When Will and Kate came over and I met her for the first time—they came over for dinner and I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot.” The Duchess added, “It's like I was a hugger. I've always been a hugger...I didn't realize that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.”