SHOWDOWN AT THE RACES!
A bitter attack on Meghan forces the Queen to hold crisis talks with the young royals Tears on the track
It should be a honeymoon period for the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex as they enjoy the afterglow of their romantic wedding and start their new life together.
But their first weeks as husband and wife have been marred by a bitter attack on Meghan by Harry’s cousins, who launched at the new princess at the races last week.
Now, heartbroken and incredibly intimidated as she tries to navigate her duties as a royal, Meghan, 36, is begging Harry to put a stop to their cruel taunts. At the core of the attack by Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie is Eugenie’s belief that Meghan has sabotaged her wedding to fiance Jack Brooksbank.
Eugenie, 28, is due to marry on October 12 at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle – the same place Meghan and Harry were married. However, the youngest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson believes the shine has been stolen from her big day by Meghan, who many are already calling the new People’s Princess.
“A battle has been brewing between Eugenie, Beatrice and Meghan for months, and it finally came to a head late last month when Eugenie lost her patience and let rip at Meghan – accusing her of trying to bulldoze her wedding plans,” one royal insider, who saw the drama unfold at Royal Ascot last week, tells us.
‘TOO SIMILAR’
“Eugenie feels as if her wedding limelight has been well and truly stolen by Meghan, and she lost her cool when she was told by royal planners that there were certain things she couldn’t do for her own party as they were ‘too similar’ to Meghan and Harry’s and she’d be seen to be copying,” tells our insider.
Eugenie has reportedly been stewing ever since she was made to delay her wedding because of
‘Eugenie feels as if her wedding limelight has been stolen’
Meghan and Harry’s big day and then they “stole” her venue. Now Harry’s cousin is determined to do everything bigger and better than Meghan, and has been courting all the best designers and making sure all her celebrity friends are going to be in attendance – including Harry’s ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas. She’s even planning her own horse and carriage procession.
Tension reached fever pitch at the races when an outraged Eugenie – with Beatrice by her side – accused Meghan of being the reason her wedding plans are turning into a disaster.
“Harry stepped in and blasted his cousins for attacking Meghan and putting their insecurities on her when she’s done nothing wrong,” says the insider.
SHOCKING OUTBURST
“Being new to the family, Meghan was in shock at their outburst, as was the Duchess of Cambridge who – when she was told of the attack later that day – suggested the girls weren’t behaving maturely and had clearly misread Meghan.”
Kate, 36, is no stranger to jealous rages by both Beatrice, 29, and Eugenie, and royal insiders say she’s now doing everything she can to reassure Meghan she’s done nothing to deserve this.
But her attempts to help Meghan deal with the criticism have only been stifled by Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who has also waded in. Our Ascot insider says Camilla was clearly siding with Eugenie and Beatrice, despite her husband Prince Charles doing what he could to keep the peace. And Eugenie certainly wasn’t giving in.
“She also accused Harry and Meghan of taking the home meant for her and Jack – insisting the Queen had promised it to her long before Harry met Meghan,” says the insider, adding that Eugenie is also fuming that Jack will likely be denied a title by the Queen, while Meghan, who seems to be very in favour with her beloved grandmother, has been given the honour of being called Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex.
ROYAL INTERVENTION
“The situation became so fraught the Queen was forced to intervene, and she called a meeting with all of the young royals at Buckingham Palace shortly after. Of course, they all listened to their grandmother and agreed to be amicable, but the feeling around the palace is that she did little to make peace between them.”
For Meghan, who is doing all she can to learn the royal ropes, this tension is the last thing she needs.
On top of dealing with Harry’s cousins,
Meghan has also been forced to cope with the fallout of her father Thomas Markle’s embarrassing comments about the Queen. “If the Queen is willing to meet our arrogant and insensitive president she has no excuse not to meet me, I’m nowhere near as bad,” he told celebrity website TMZ in yet another interview, revealing he is upset that he’s still yet to meet the head of the British monarchy, or his daughter’s new husband.
All this drama comes amid reports Meghan and Harry, 33, may already be expecting. “Harry has persuaded Meghan to put on a brave face, but behind closed doors she’s a complete wreck.”
MORE DRAMA AHEAD
Now, with Eugenie’s wedding drawing nearer – and she and Beatrice determined to make hers the big day everyone talks about for years to come – palace sources fear it’s only a matter of time before poor Meghan will face yet another jealous rage at the hands of Harry’s cousins.