HAVE DUCHESS, MULRONEY PARTED WAYS?

By the Duchess of Sussex’s own admission, the “Five Friends” who defended her to People magazine are all “women and young mothers”.

Their identities have never been revealed and The Mail on Sunday’s insistence Thursday that they have “no intention” of exposing them suggests they are likely to remain anonymous for evermore.

But that hasn’t stopped royal watchers engaging in a guessing game over who may have been involved in the article, which first revealed the existence of a handwritten letter from Meghan to her father Thomas Markle Sr. that is now the subject of an increasingly acrimonious legal battle.

The only friend ever to have been named in court documents as trying to influence a story about Meghan is Jessica Mulroney.

The newspaper alleged that Mulroney acted on the duchess’s behalf to ensure “a more favourable article was published”.

Mulroney, 40, a stylist and former TV star, wrote to Gina Nelthorpe-cowne, her former commercial adviser, “putting pressure on her to withdraw or change statements” after she gave an interview to the newspaper, according to defence papers submitted by Associated Newspapers, owner of the Mail on Sunday.

It further claimed that the features editor complained about the intervention of Meghan’s friend, with Prince Harry’s then-communications secretary Jason Knauf allegedly responding by saying he would ensure “this does not happen again”.

The newspaper cited the example to suggest that Meghan must have authorized the five friends to speak to People, thereby invading her own privacy. The duchess denies any advance knowledge of their cooperation with the magazine — while there is no suggestion Mulroney was one of the quintet.

Yet matters have been complicated by the recent fall from grace of the woman Meghan once called her “sister,” after she was accused of bullying a Black Canadian lifestyle blogger.

Despite making three apologies, Mulroney, who is married to Ben Mulroney, son of former prime minister Brian Mulroney, has seen her wedding show pulled from the screens, her future talk show appearances rescinded and her endorsement of a department store axed.

Only last summer, Mulroney defended Meghan after accusations of eco hypocrisy over her private jet use, calling critics “racist bullies.”

But now the pair no longer appear on speaking terms.

It was widely reported that Meghan left her son Archie with Mulroney when she and Harry made a visit to Britain in March.

However, since the racism scandal broke, insiders say they have had little contact, a development which could have implications for the forthcoming court case.