Meghan’s One Move in Jordan Has Royal Fans Accusing Her of Copying Kate: ‘She’s Trying So Hard’

It was not Meghan's victory that drew attention; rather, it intensified comparisons with Middleton, who is an avid soccer fan.

Meghan Markle is no stranger to public scrutiny, and stepping down as a senior royal has done little to ease it. Despite her efforts to keep her Jordan visit focused on her work, some fans took issue with a seemingly light-hearted moment. On February 25, the Duchess of Sussex participated in a football shootout during her tour of the Za'atari Refugee Camp. After her images from the game went viral, royal watchers believed she was copying Kate Middleton, who has frequently been photographed playing football during sports-focused engagements.

Markle and Prince Harry's two-day humanitarian trip in Jordan to support global and mental health, as well as assist vulnerable communities, showed them engaging in a sporty activity. During their visit to a tour center at the refugee camp, they took part in a friendly football competition, with Markle defeating her husband and leaving him red-faced. But it was not her victory that drew attention; rather, it intensified comparisons with Middleton, who is an avid soccer fan. For her part, the Princess of Wales has been pictured enjoying the game quite a few times, most notably ahead of the 2017 London Marathon and on her visit to Northern Ireland two years later.

After photos of Markle from the football match went viral on X (Formerly Twitter), royal fans all said the same thing. A netizen remarked, "If she's trying to be like our Princess Catherine, she's FAILED big time!" In a similar vein, another echoed, "She's trying so hard to be Catherine lol." A royal watcher also opined, "She is trying to copy Princess Catherine, who is a natural and successful sportswoman." As the comments poured in, a person sneered, "Trying to be Princess Catherine." Likewise, another quipped, "Look, I'm sporty too, you know!!! Wow, she's obsessed with Catherine."

Judging by the constant comparisons, one cannot help but wonder whether Harry and Markle's trip may have ruffled some feathers with the Prince and Princess of Wales, as they have a long history of visits to the country. Given the tensions between the Fab Four, such an international engagement could be seen as fueling an unnecessary rivalry. William and Middleton had most recently visited Jordan for the wedding of Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah in June 2023. Meanwhile, William also has a good relationship with the Crown Prince, welcoming him to RAF Benson in Oxfordshire last October to meet his former flight squadron.

And on the topic of fueling rivalries, the above incident isn't the first time the Sussexes were accused of stealing the spotlight from the Waleses. On February 15, when Markle and Harry attended the NBA All-Star Game, royal watchers once again accused them of copying William and Middleton, who have attended NBA matches in the US. Let's not forget the time Markle released a special Christmas episode of her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, which critics felt copied Middleton's long-standing tradition of hosting an annual Christmas carol service on ITV1.