It’s no secret that for months the Cambridges and the Sussexes have been embroiled in a bitter royal feud, with tensions between both families reaching fever pitch.
Meghan Markle’s official induction into the royal family exactly one year ago was hailed as a huge step forward for the traditional institution.
But it seems the very modern California girl proved a little too much for some members of the family, with her desire to shake up the old-fashioned monarchy meeting firm resistance.
For months, rumours about a “difficult” and “diva-like” Meghan swirled, with reports that she wakes up at 5am and sends her staff a flurry of text messages making headlines, as did the resignation of several key, long term royal employees.
There was the rumour that Meghan left Kate “in tears” after her daughter Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress fitting for Meghan’s wedding in May, plus there were reports of tension between the Queen and Meghan over a number of issues, including the choice of tiara she wore at her wedding and reports that she wants Archie to be raised as a vegan.
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William reportedly wanted Harry to take things “slowly” with Meghan, which did not go down well at all! (Image: Getty)
Then there’s the matter of how Meghan – and Harry – really turned official royal protocol on its head with the arrival of their own little bundle of joy.
From the outset, the couple said they wanted to celebrate the arrival of their royal baby “privately” and would not be doing a big reveal on the steps of the Lindo Wing just hours after meeting their baby.
In fact, Meghan reportedly said she “felt sorry” for Kate having to appear completely pristine in heels and blow-dried to perfection, when all she probably wanted to do was lie down in her trackies and take a long nap.
The release of an official statement proved that Harry and Meghan wanted to do things very different to Kate and William.
They wanted to show the world what a modern royal family looks like – and it’s the complete opposite of the lifestyle the Cambridges have led for years.
READ NEXT: Inside Prince Harry and Prince William’s heartbreaking feud
Thing have reportedly been tense between the brothers for months. (Image: Getty)
But the arrival of Harry and Meghan’s son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor seems to have suddenly provided the perfect olive branch between Meghan and the rest of the royal family, especially the Cambridges.
Who could forget the now iconic photo of the Queen, Prince Philip and Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland meeting baby Archie last week.
The gorgeous image said so much about the modernisation of the royal family and the new racial diversity Meghan has brought to the monarchy.
What an iconic shot! (Image: @theroyalfamily/Instagram)
And now it seems things might have also been patched up between the Cambridges and the Sussexes, with the two families meeting today at Frogmore Cottage – all thanks to baby Archie.
More than a week after the birth, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge finally popped into Frogmore meet their new nephew.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed the meeting took place, People magazine reported.
While it took a week for Kate and Wills to meet Archie, immediately after his birth they were captured smiling and laughing in an adorably candid video, offering their congratulations to new parents Harry and Meghan.
Kate and William have wished the couple well. (Image: Getty)
Duchess Catherine told onlookers that she and Prince William were “looking forward to meeting the new baby and finding out what his name’s going to be”.
She also added in her own sweet piece of advice to the brand new parents, explaining: “These next few weeks are always a bit daunting the first time round so we wish them all the best.”
“Obviously with Louis and Charlotte just having had their birthdays it’s such a great time of year to have a baby, spring is in the air.”
Prince William also added his own quip, saying: “I’m very pleased and glad to welcome my own brother into the sleep deprivation society that is parenting.”
“I wish him all the best and I hope the next few days they can settle down and enjoy having a newborn in their family and the joys that come with that.”
The Fab Four together last year. (Image: Getty)
The two couples put on a united front last Christmas. (Image: Getty)
There hasn’t been much interaction between the Cambridges and the Sussexes lately. The two couples are used to stepping out as a fabulous foursome – at Christmas last year and also the Commonwealth Day celebrations – but they’ve been keeping to solo or couple engagements recently.
But the Cambridges have also tried to extended the olive branch on Instagram, taking to the social media platform to share their congratulations with Harry and Meghan, writing: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted with the news of the birth of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son today.”
“William and Kate look forward to meeting the latest addition to the family,” the statement said.
WATCH BELOW: Prince William welcomes Prince Harry into fatherhood. Story continues after video.
While there are conflicting source reports flying left, right and centre at the moment, we think this titbit one royal insider told Vanity Fair – that there’s actually no feud between Kate and Meghan – holds a lot of weight.
“Kate and Meghan are very different people and they don’t have a lot in common but they have made an effort to get along,” said the source. “Any issues are between the brothers.”
Some sources have said Harry and William’s bond is apparently “almost irretrievably broken” because William “refused to roll out the red carpet” for Harry’s new bride.
“Harry didn’t think William was rolling out the red carpet for Meghan, and told him so,” a source spills of the brother’s rift.
“They had a bit of a fallout, which was only resolved when Prince Charles stepped in and asked William to make an effort.”
Hopefully with the arrival of little Archie, that bond is well on the way to being mended.
