The Gloves Are Off! Meghan & Kate At War

The rift is splitting the family apart

They were once so close, there were whispers Meghan Markle would invite the Duchess of Cambridge to be her matron of honour when she walked down the aisle to marry Prince Harry.

But it seems the once blossoming friendship between the Duchess of Sussex and her sister-in-law Kate has soured, with the pregnant former Suits star and her husband now set to leave Kensington Palace to start a new life in Windsor amid rumours of a growing feud that threatens to tear the entire royal family apart.

“While everyone was clinging on to the hope Kate and Meghan would be forever best buddies, the fairy tale has very much come to an abrupt end,” reveals a well-placed palace insider, speaking exclusively to Woman’s Day. “Tensions have reached an all-time high, and it’s not only causing problems between William and Harry, but it’s also having a knock-on effect on the entire family.

“With everyone taking sides, it’s gotten so fractious behind the scenes that there are now deep rooted fears that this could drive a long-lasting wedge through The Firm.”

Prince Charles has allegedly been acting as a mediator between Prince William, 36, and his more popular younger brother, urging them not to fall out over their wives’ differences and insisting they have to stop fighting over “petty” issues.

Meanwhile, we’re told Kate, 36, and Meghan’s mutual friend Mischa Nonoo, a US-based fashion designer, has attempted to stage an intervention between the two warring women, but it’s done little to soothe the strain.

Reports of a royal rift first emerged last week, when it was revealed Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, who are expecting their first child in April, will move from their current home at Kensington Palace, two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage, to the Windsor Estate’s two-storey Frogmore Cottage.