Will Meghan Markle steal Kate Middleton’s thunder?

They say that life begins at 40 (up until then, you’re apparently doing research). So, the fact that Kate Middleton reaches the big 4-0 this week is a pivotal moment in the duchess’ life – and, indeed, a pivotal moment for the monarchy, especially since Kate’s taking an increasingly more central role in the family as the Queen scales back her duties. So, it’s fair to assume that all eyes will and should be on the birthday girl over the next few weeks.

But according to insiders, there’s fear among palace aides that a Sussex-shaped cloud could appear at any minute and cast a shadow over celebrations. After all, it’s long been noted that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a habit of dropping bombshells at the very worst of times and consequently taking the spotlight from the royals. And while there’s no suggestion that they do it intentionally, there’s no denying that there have been a fair few coincidences over the years when it comes to ill-timed photo opps and revelations.

Now, we’re told, palace officials are holding their breath and desperately hoping that they make it through Kate’s birthday without a Sussex truth bomb dropping without warning.

“There’s a very real fear inside the palace about what Harry and Meghan could do that may consequently overshadow Kate’s birthday,” says an insider close to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who will be celebrating Kate’s birthday on 9 January with their three children, Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and three-year-old Prince Louis. “If it sounds negative or cynical to be thinking this way, it’s only because the Sussexes – and, to be honest, Meghan in particular – have a history of speaking up at the worst possible time. So, when it comes to many members of the royal family, they’re always on guard.”

Let’s be clear: now that Harry and Meghan lead very separate lives to Kate and William and the rest of the royals, it’s no surprise that revelations and engagements sometimes clash and overlap – after all, these days, there’s reportedly little to no communication between them. Still, there’s no denying that, whether inadvertent or not, there have been moments in the past when Harry and Meghan have seemed to divert attention from pivotal moments in the royal family – even when they were all a lot more informed regarding each others’ diary commitments.

Two years ago this week, the Sussexes dropped their infamous Megxit social media post, breaking the internet with the news that they were stepping down as senior royals. And the date of this bombshell post? It was 8 January – just one day before Kate’s 38th birthday, which was not missed by royal watchers or the media. And, back in 2018, Harry and Meghan reportedly told the royals that they were expecting their first child, Archie, now two, on the morning of Princess Eugenie’s wedding. At the time, sources said the timing of their news “did not go down well”. Less than a year later, the pair, who are also parents to seven-month-old Lilibet, ruffled feathers again by posting never-before-seen pictures of their own wedding on the same day that Kensington Palace announced that Kate was working on a huge project for the Chelsea Flower Show.

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During the height of the pandemic in April 2020, the Queen delivered her historic speech to households across the UK, calling for national unity – she was roundly praised afterwards for being such an assuring figurehead at a highly uncertain time. One day later, Harry and Meghan announced they were launching their Archewell charity to much fanfare. Then, of course, came their controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey, which aired in the UK on 8 March – a time when Prince Philip, then 99, was in hospital and there was great concern about him. It also eclipsed the Queen’s annual Commonwealth Day message, which she had delivered just the day before, after many weeks of planning. This began their (some might say )pointed attacks against the royals, which Harry doubled down on in May, when he told Dax Shepard on his podcast Armchair Expert that he’d moved his family to the States to “break the cycle” of trauma he’d been brought up in, while in the same week, William and Kate carried out a series of high-profile engagements for Mental Health Awareness Week.

As our source tells us, these coincidences can happen when dealing with as high-profile people as the royals. While critics have claimed Harry and Meghan are well aware of how impactful their actions can be, we’re also told there hasn’t always been careful thought when it comes to the timing of their actions. Now, with a new year ahead, it’s more than likely that they’ll have even bigger plans for 2022 – but for now, all the palace can do is hope that they’ll wait until after Kate’s big day before they make their next big announcement.

“It’s awful that this is a scenario they’re faced with,” says our insider. “But, after all of Harry and Meghan’s behaviour – which some people see as inconsiderate – the idea of them stealing Kate’s thunder and ruining her day is seen as a very real possibility, and not something that can be stopped. There’s a view among a number of aides that there’s a lack of care on their part when it comes to stirring up conflict. If they choose to post some type of big announcement around the same time, it will only shine a light on how divided the two families have become. At this point, the odds on the two couples patching things up are slim.”

Still, we’re told, Kate’s not letting herself be concerned too much with family politics. With the state of the country as it is, she’s simply staying focused on enjoying a low-key day at home with William and the kids, with a potential bigger celebration in the calendar for later in the year. Meanwhile, sources say that Kate and William are also planning a US tour in 2022 to mark their mutual milestone birthdays (Wills turns 40 in June).

Maybe that will be their chance to spend some time with Harry and Meghan. Or, at the very least, they could beat them at their own game and make some headlines of their own on their home turf. Inadvertently, of course.

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