Although Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton seem to be getting along famously, the same cannot be said for their respective fan bases. Victoria Arbiter, a royal author, told Express that both Duchesses have loyal fans who are squabbling and attacking each other online. The Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Sussex’s every move is watched and criticized by their supporters, sparking furious rows about which royal is better.
The royal expert says that fans have taken to social media and are not afraid to bash each other when they disagree. Arbiter, who wrote Queen Elizabeth II for Pocket Giants, pointed out the irony in the situation. William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan support anti-bullying charities and are very vocal when it comes to issues pertaining to mental health. Arbiter said that she can only assume that the duchesses aren’t aware of all the social media bullying which is happening at their expense.
“They just like to pit these two women against each other which is a shame because I think both women have got so much to offer.”
“It seems on social media that there are two very defined camps, there are the Cambridge fans and the Sussex fans and they don’t seem to cross over terribly well.”
The two women come from vastly different backgrounds and upbringings. Catherine and William dated for a long time before eventually getting married. The British public got to know Kate and many fell in love with her sense of style and her refined English ways. On the other hand, Meghan couldn’t be more different. Not only is the 37-year-old an American, but she was an accomplished independent actress before marrying into the Royal Family.
“If Kate steps out and does something then all the Sussex fans start grumbling and vice versa, it’s an extraordinary thing to see.”
The author goes on to give a real-life example of what happened recently. Kate had a baby a few months ago and just got off maternity leave. Her first royal engagement post-Louis had Meghan fans up in arms because it was only an “hour and a half.” They then compared Kate to Meghan and said that Meghan does more.
“The Cambridge fans are all in and the Sussex fans are all in.”
Arbiter explained that there were fundamental flaws in both camps. Meghan’s fan base is predominantly American and do not understand the way that royal reporting works. The British taxpayers will always criticize the Royal Family because taxpayers fund part of their income. The Duchess of Sussex fans have assumed that the Brits are attacking her when it’s simply the ordinary citizen offering constructive criticism.
Kate’s fans, on the other hand, seem to “hero worship” Kate. The author says that her most fanatical fans are obsessed with everything about the Duchess of Cambridge in a way which is very reminiscent of the Diana era.
Arbiter made it clear that despite their online factions, Kate and Meghan enjoy a warm relationship.