Kate 'sends Meghan Markle clear message to back off' as tension deepens in royal feud

The King is thought to be the only senior member of the Royal Family that is in contact with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The Sussxes have publicly criticised the Royal Family in TV interviews, their Netflix documentary and Prince Harry's autobiography.

However, the Princess of Wales will fight to uphold the monarchy's reputation if further criticism is launched at the Firm, according to a source.

The source said: "Kate won't hesitate to keep sticking up for the royals as well as herself.

"Kate is fiercely protective when it comes to defending her family and the overall interests of the Royal Family.

"If that means fighting fire with fire at times then she’s more than willing to do so – even if it makes her less popular with certain people.

"She’s very much the voice of reason and is known within the Firm for being a clear, fair thinker who tries to weigh up all sides before rushing to judgment or thinking ill of anyone."

While Princess Kate used to have a strong bond with Prince Harry, her relationship with the Duchess of Sussex has become increasingly icy.

The source told Closer Magazine: "Meghan needs to be extremely careful with these power games because Kate won’t hesitate to keep sticking up for the royals as well as herself.

"She’s shown an incredible amount of tolerance and bitten her lip but even she can only be pushed so far, and this latest revelation is being seen as a very clear message to Meghan to back off and watch what she says about Kate moving forward.

"The bottom line here is that Kate’s not afraid to take the gloves off and play dirty if she has to.

"It’s about self-preservation and not being walked all over, but also what’s fair and right at the end of the day, too."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as working members of the Royal Family in 2020.

Meghan chose not to go to the Coronation of King Charles in May 2023, with Prince Harry attending the landmark event on his own.