Meghan Markle believes she is being judged by 'a completely different rulebook' from Princess Kate as the future queen is hailed a 'golden girl' in the British press while the Duchess of Sussex faces online backlash for sharing far more guarded images of her own children, a source toldStar Magazine. The latest flare-up in the long-running tension between the couples has reportedly been triggered by a fresh round of glossy family photos fromKensington Palaceand a contrasting reaction to Meghan's post celebrating Prince Archie's seventh birthday in California.

The news came after the Prince and Princess of Wales released a string of carefully curated images in late April and early May. A barefoot Princess Kate, 44, was shown laughing on the grass with Prince William, 43, and their three children in a portrait marking the couple's 15th wedding anniversary, posted to Instagram on 29 April. Days later, the Waleses published an 11th birthday photo of Princess Charlotte grinning in a field of daisies, followed by footage of the young royal running along a beach and cuddling the family's cocker spaniels.

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Those images, which were warmly received by royal fans, appear to have landed rather differently in Montecito. Meghan Markle, 44, and Prince Harry, 41, feel there is 'one set of rules for William and Kate and another for them', a source toldStar. It added that 'all the resentment over the double standard is bubbling up again,' as the Waleses are feted for the kind of soft-focus family branding that draws suspicion when the Sussexes attempt anything similar.

Days after Charlotte's birthday content appeared online,Meghan posted her own tribute to Archie on 6 May. Her Instagram update included a rear-view shot of Archie and his younger sister Princess Lilibet, who turns five in June, along with a previously unseen image of newborn Archie lying on Harry's chest. The faces of both children remained hidden. Even so, the post attracted criticism from some users, accusing the couple of 'trying to stay relevant' or 'pimping their children to stay in [the] media spotlight.'

The contrast has, insiders say, sharpened a grievance that has been simmering since Meghan's time inside the royal fold. 'Kate and William are very clearly using their children as part of the royal image and the branding of the family,' the source said. 'Yet Meghan's been criticised for even including the smallest glimpse of Archie and Lilibet.' In their telling, Meghan feels that 'no matter what she does, Kate will be the golden girl and she will be the villain.'

For context, Meghan Markle has argued for years that she and Harry are held to a harsher standard than the Prince and Princess of Wales, both by the palace and by sections of the public. In her 2021 CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey, the formerSuitsactress objected to the press pitting her against Kate and said, 'If you love me, you don't have to hate her. And if you love her, you don't have to hate me.'

According to theStarsource, Meghan believes she entered royal life at a disadvantage. Kate is described as 'the quintessential Brit' who is reserved and 'somewhat inward with her emotions,' while Meghan 'speaks her mind' and 'is not afraid to amend and improve the status quo.' The two women have 'always been poles apart,' the source claimed, and Meghan 'just wishes people would stop comparing them.'

She is also said to have once hoped the pair would work together as 'a positive and powerful force for change.' Instead, relations reportedly worsened as William and Harry's bond fractured and the Sussexes became convinced they were being treated unfairly by what they refer to as 'The Firm.' Kate, the source suggested, 'was always colouring inside the lines' and not prepared to test royal protocol in the way Meghan did.

The now infamous 'bridesmaid dress' row before Meghan and Harry's 2018 wedding crystallised that split. Early reports claimed Meghan made Kate cry during a disagreement over Princess Charlotte's outfit. In the CBS interview, Meghan insisted 'the reverse happened,' adding that Kate had apologised with flowers and a note and that she had 'forgiven her' and saw her as 'a good person,' as reported by several outlets at the time. But once the leak about tensions between the women hit the papers, 'the writing was on the wall', the source said, and Meghan came to feel her future in the UK was 'doomed.'

Source: International Business Times UK