Kate Middleton remains ‘hurt and upset’ by an article published in society bible Tatler and ‘never saw it coming’ because the magazine’s editor-in-chief is a ‘close friend from the St Andrews set’ who has holidayed with her twice, a report claims.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have filed legal action against the magazine after it published a ‘string of lies’ about Kate, 38, including claims she feels ‘exhausted and trapped’ in the Royal Family and fell out with Meghan Markle in a row over whether Princess Charlotte should wear tights as a bridesmaid at her wedding.
The writer of the piece, journalist Anna Pasternak, described Kate as having ‘an aura of blandness’ and claimed she has developed a ‘posher’ accent after being born a commoner.
In a highly unusual move, the couple sent legal letters to the magazine demanding its profile of the Duchess – headlined ‘Catherine the Great’ – be removed from the internet.
Kate Middleton (pictured in Ireland in March) remains ‘hurt and upset’ by an article published in society bible Tatler and ‘never saw it coming’ because the magazine’s editor-in-chief is a ‘close friend from the St Andrews set’ who has holidayed with her twice, a source claims
According The Sun, Kate was ‘shocked’ by the ‘unpleasant’ article because Tatler’s editor-in-chief Richard Dennen is an old friend of hers from St Andrews University.
Chicago-born Dennen was on the same art history course as Kate and reportedly lived two streets away. The pair even went to France together in 2004, while Kate and William were on a break from their relationship.
In 2015 Dennen shared a now-deleted candid photo of Kate eating a sandwich at an airport, which he posted with the caption: ‘Before life got serious and we still ate wheat and flew economy,’ and the hashtags #TheCourtJester and #TheKensingtonCrew.
Although Dennen claims he has only met William twice, it is believed he was a guest at the 2011 Royal Wedding and both receptions.
Chicago-born Tatler editor-in-chief Richard Dennen (pictured in 2015) was on the same art history course as Kate and reportedly lived two streets away. The pair even went to France together in 2004, while Kate and William were on a break from their relationship
Although Dennen claims he has only met Prince William (pictured with Kate at St Andrews University) twice, it is believed he was a guest at the 2011 Royal Wedding and both receptions
Dennen has previously described Kate as ‘very measured, very controlled’. He told CNN in 2011: ‘That is perfect because you don’t want someone who’s going to be falling out on the Kings Road face down, wasted after a boozy session.
‘There was this nightclub that everyone went to called Boujis and she was famous for always nipping into the bathroom, checking her hair and make-up before she left because she knew there were photographers waiting outside.’
Tatler has said it sticks by the reporting of journalist Anna Pasternak, who wrote the article
A source told the publication the Duchess feels ‘betrayed’ and ‘never saw this coming’. They added: ‘There are a lot of unanswered questions, particularly who said these things to Tatler because her real friends would never talk that way about her.’
In response to Kensington Palace’s complaints, a spokesperson for Tatler said the complaint had ‘no merit’ and that ‘Editor-in-chief Richard Dennen stands behind the reporting of Pasternak and her sources’.
‘Kensington Palace knew we were running the “Catherine the Great” cover months ago and we asked them to work together on it,’ they said. ‘The fact they are denying they ever knew is categorically false.’
The article makes reference to the eating disorders suffered by William’s mother Princess Diana, saying: ‘Kate has become perilously thin, just like – some point out – Princes Diana.’
The palace is particularly ‘furious’ about claims that Kate feels ‘exhausted and trapped’ by the increased workload following Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back.
The profile takes aim at Kate’s taste and her family, sneeringly describing the Cambridges’ Anmer Hall home in Norfolk as ‘very Buckinghamshire’.
Dennen has previously described Kate as ‘very measured, very controlled’. He added: ‘That is perfect because you don’t want someone who’s going to be falling out on the Kings Road face down, wasted after a boozy session’
‘Carole has put her stamp on Anmer decor-wise,’ it claims. ‘Far from being a typical aristo abode, with threadbare rugs and dog hair everywhere, like, say, Windsor and Balmoral, it is, according to a visitor, ‘like a gleaming five-star hotel, with cushions plumped and candles lit’.’
It also labels Mrs Middleton ‘a terrible snob’ and snipes at Kate’s younger sister Pippa as ‘too regal and try-hard… A bit lost now and is struggling to find her place’.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have filed legal action against the society magazine
William is also believed to be upset by the suggestion that Carole Middleton has become ‘the mummy he’s always wanted’, feeling it is incredibly disrespectful to his late mother.
To the anger of Kensington Palace, Ms Pasternak asserts that the Cambridges feel very tired because they have been forced to take on more Royal duties after Megxit.
The article cites a source as saying: ‘Kate is furious about the larger workload… She feels exhausted and trapped. She’s working as hard as a top CEO, who has to be wheeled out all the time, without the benefits of boundaries and plenty of holidays.’
But figures in the Court Circular, the official record of Royal engagements, suggest otherwise.
The couple have done a similar number of jobs from January to March as they did over the same period last year. Kate has actually done less – 29 this year against 35 in 2019.
The Duke and Duchess are also said to be upset about criticism of her family and her children.
A Royal source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘That is such an extremely cruel and wounding barb. It’s disgusting. It’s sexist and woman-shaming at its very worst.
Tatler also addressed one of the rumored feuds between Meghan and Kate, stemming from Meghan’s wedding in May 2018. The magazine said the fight occurred at a rehearsal and was over whether Princess Charlotte and the other young bridesmaids should wear tights. A friend told DailyMail.com: ‘Meghan was not about to make her god-kids, let alone the other little girls wear tights, it was too hot and sticky and there was just no need for it’
‘The piece is full of lies. There is no truth to their claim that the Duchess feels overwhelmed with work, nor that the Duke is obsessed with Carole Middleton. It’s preposterous and downright wrong.
‘The whole thing is class snobbery at its very worst. The stuff about [Kate’s sister] Pippa is horrible. Tatler may think it’s immune from action as it’s read by the Royals and on every coffee table in every smart home, but it makes no difference.
‘It’s ironic that the Royals’ favourite magazine is being trashed by them. The Duchess is a naturally shy woman who is doing her best.’
Earlier this week it emerged married mother-of-one Ms Pasternak is reportedly friends with former Tatler journalist Vanessa Mulroney, who is the sister-in-law of Meghan’s best friend Jessica Mulroney.
A source told the Sun: ‘Pasternak’s article caused immense unnecessary pain for Kate and its central claim that she felt trapped and unhappy was wildly untrue.
‘Pasternak is sticking to her story and saying her sources are good. She is very well connected in the US. She is friends with Vanessa Mulroney who used to work at Tatler and now lives in Canada.
‘And Vanessa’s sister-in-law Jessica is Meghan’s best friend. It’s intriguing.’
Oxford-educated Ms Pasternak, who lives in Oxfordshire with her husband Andrew and daughter Daisy, is a vastly experienced journalist who has written for every UK national newspaper.
She wrote a recent book on Wallis Simpson called The American Duchess and 1994’s Princess In Love about Princess Diana’s affair with James Hewitt.