Kate Middleton Was Put 'on Edge' Once She Was 'Forced to Compete' With Meghan Markle

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle struggled to connect, but the public's desire to compare the two duchesses might've deepened the wedge between them even further.

In Spare, Prince Harry gave insight into the Duchess of Sussex and the former Duchess of Cambridge's public rift.

In the past, Harry described the Princess of Wales as "the sister I've never had and always wanted," but things changed when the duke began dating Meghan.

"Ever since they first met, Catherine had always enjoyed a close relationship with her brother-in-law… When Meghan came into his life, however, the dynamic of the relationship changed," biographer Robert Jobson wrote in Catherine, the Princess of Wales.

As the tension between the Sussexes and the Waleses worsens, sources claimed Prince William was annoyed by his brother's decision to call his wife "Kate" instead of her proper first name.

When Kate first announced she was diagnosed with cancer, the Sussexes released a statement in support but forgot to call her Catherine — the title used by her inner circle.

“The fact that Harry and Meghan were unable to bring themselves to use her chosen name, even when they were sending her get-well-soon messages after her cancer diagnosis, was noted," a friend told an outlet. "William takes offense at people calling Catherine ‘Kate,’ because she has asked to be known as Catherine. It’s a fairly simple wish to respect. I’m sure Meghan wouldn’t like it if William started publicly calling her ‘Meghan Markle.’"

“Of course, it’s an utterly trivial thing, but those of us who know William know that it is one of the things that pushes his buttons," a source noted. "Pushing his buttons while he was going through his wife’s cancer seemed an entirely unnecessary and deliberate irritation."

“No one’s saying it’s responsible for all the trouble, but deliberately calling someone by a name they don’t like is just bloody rude," they added. "If Harry and Meghan were serious about healing their issue, a good first step would be to call her Catherine.”

While Kate focuses on her health, the Waleses are expected to avoid discussing the Sussexes.

"Kate’s still very much focusing on her healing, and they decided to create a firm boundary to protect her from all the stress and upset Harry and Meghan create, which understandably has a negative impact on her physical health, as well as her mental health," a source claimed.

"Kate and William have put a self-imposed ban on anything Meghan and Harry-related, as they take time out to enjoy some much-needed respite and family time," the insider continued.

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