Meghan Markle has told friends that if Kate Middleton was constantly being criticized by the press, the royal family would have stepped in and changed its media policies and shunned the tabloids, an insider exclusively told DailyMail.com.
‘[Meghan said] no one would have put up with it, and the broken and outdated system would have been revised. Those outlets responsible for their vicious attacks would have been shut out,’ the friend explained.
The Duchess, 37, firmly believes if the tables were turned and her sister-in-law had been subject to the same treatment, ‘changes would have been made’.
Last week the Sussexes announced they would have ‘no corroboration and zero engagement’ with four UK tabloids, including the Daily Mail, citing Meghan’s poor treatment.
Although palace aides said everyone was stunned by the move, the friend said: ‘Meghan said no one in the royal family should be surprised with the announcement.
She said everyone knew exactly how Harry felt about the British tabloids and the changes he wanted made in order to ‘If Kate was being criticized no one would put up with it.’ Bitter Meghan tells friends the palace favored her sister-in-law and would have attacked the UK tabloids if she were the one relentlessly picked on to protect his family.’
They added: ‘Meghan said Harry needed to take a stand for her, their son and his mother.’
Meghan Markle has told friends if Kate Middleton was constantly being bashed by the press, the royal family would have stepped in and changed its media policies and shunned the tabloids, an insider exclusively told DailyMail.com
Last week the Sussexes announced they would have ‘no corroboration and zero engagement’ with four UK tabloids, including the Daily Mail newspaper, citing Meghan’s poor treatment. Pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan wearing masks in LA as they deliver meals to residents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic last Friday
The friend said: ‘Meghan said Harry needed to take a stand for her, their son and his mother’
The insider explained what ‘irritated Meghan and Harry the most’ was if the press had ‘constantly criticized and needlessly bashed Kate the way they did her, changes within the royal’s media policy would have been made. No questions asked.’
Harry went to his father Prince Charles and his grandmother the Queen ‘constantly’ about Meghan being bullied, but they ‘wouldn’t do anything to change the protocol’, despite seeing ‘how it was tearing him apart,’ according to the source.
‘[Meghan] said it was infuriating that Harry’s very real and valid concerns fell on deaf ears,’ the source said.
‘Meghan said they made it seem like this is the way it is, deal with it. Harry had been dealing with it far too long. She said he wasn’t going to let this destroy her life and their marriage.’
In January, Meghan and Harry stunned the world when they announced they would be quitting their royal duties, become financially independent and split their time between North America and England.
The friend explained: ‘Meghan said when she was living in England, she was being bullied by the media non-stop and Harry knew he had to do something dramatic to protect her and the family.
‘She said she was being treated unfairly and picked on for everything she did including rubbing her belly too much when she was pregnant.’
Harry went to his father Prince Charles and his grandmother the Queen ‘constantly’ about Meghan being bullied, but they ‘wouldn’t do anything to change the protocol’, despite seeing ‘how it was tearing him apart,’ the source said
The friend explained: ‘Meghan said when she was living in England, she was being bullied by the media non-stop and Harry knew he had to do something dramatic to protect her and the family. She said she was being treated unfairly and picked on for everything she did including rubbing her belly too much when she was pregnant’
‘She said there was no way she was going to go through motherhood being criticized for every little thing she did,’ the friend continued.
‘She said she told Harry that it was only going to get worse, It was a no win situation and the only solution was to take control of their own lives.
‘Harry needed to take a stand for her, their son and his mother.
‘Meghan said Harry made it crystal clear that they could not function in good faith under the current system… and that if it wasn’t revised and updated to their liking, they would have no other choice than to break from the royal family.
‘She said no one took his pleas seriously, so they had to take the issue into their own hands. This was about protecting the family and doing right by Princess Diana.
‘She said the British tabloids have haunted Harry since childhood and should have been kicked out of the media pool long ago.
‘The system is broken and Harry wanted to fix it. She said he needed to take a stand and now they are doing it together.’
After announcing their decision to step back from their royal duties, Meghan and Harry set up base at a rented waterfront mansion on Vancouver Island in Canada.
‘She said no one took his pleas seriously, so they had to take the issue into their own hands,’ the friend explained. ‘This was about protecting the family and doing right by Princess Diana. ‘She said the British tabloids have haunted Harry since childhood and should have been kicked out of the media pool long ago.’ Pictured: Princess Diana and Prince Harry in 1987
However, they quickly moved to Los Angeles last month when Canada announced it would be closing its borders to the US.
Over Easter weekend, the royal couple were seen volunteering with Project Angel Food, dropping off food to LA locals who are critically ill and are at a greater risk amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A source said they both were down to earth and Meghan told her inner circle that it felt good to finally be out and about connecting with people.
‘Meghan and Harry were really down-to-earth. Meghan had been looking for an organization to get behind and says Project Angel Food is the perfect fit. She plans on volunteering much more with Harry,’ the friend said.
They went under-the-radar in dressed down clothes while delivering meals to 20 people, seen in exclusive DailyMail.com photos waving to a man after handing over bags of food.
The source added: ‘Some people didn’t recognize them at first and others were just completely shocked. One elderly woman actually started to cry and said she had always been a fan and had always wanted to meet them, and then welcomed them to their new life in America.’
Earlier this week, it was revealed Meghan Markle branded her father Thomas Markle a liar in court papers and denied she knew her influential friends planned to reveal details of her deteriorating relationship with him to People magazine, court papers revealed
Earlier this week, it was revealed Meghan Markle branded her father Thomas Markle a liar in court papers and denied she knew her influential friends planned to reveal details of her deteriorating relationship with him to People magazine.
Text messages revealed in new court documents claim Meghan and Harry tried to protect Thomas Markle in the days leading up to their wedding while he was forced to drop out of the lavish Windsor Castle wedding due to his failing health.
Meghan also states Thomas Markle did not answer truthfully when asked if had colluded with a photographer to stage pictures of him in the weeks leading up to the May 2018 ceremony.
She also maintains she was unaware that five close friends had chosen to intervene in the growing public debate about her relationship with her father by giving interviews to People magazine for an article published in February 2019.