As Meghan Markle prepared to join the royal family, many were rooting for her and Kate Middleton to form a sisterly alliance. On the other hand, others thought it would be too easy to pit the two against each other.

Sadly, the latter camp's predictions seem to have been the most accurate: since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the royal family, there has famously been a certain tension, especially between Prince William and Prince Harry, and it seems that the wives were at least somewhat on each husband's side.

The Duchess of Cambridge is reportedly trying to repair the relationship between her husband and her brother, but perhaps the most notable sign of tension between her and the California resident was an Oprah interview in 2021 in which Markle admitted that Middleton made her cry before their 2018 wedding was that.

Now an explosive biography by royal author Tom Bower is due to be published that sheds light on some of the emotions that may have been going on behind the scenes when the Sussexes were still working as royalty.

In an excerpt from "Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War of the Windsors" (opens in new tab), Bower writes (opens in new tab) Meghan's contempt for her half-siblings, Samantha and Thomas, and now Harry's contempt for Kate and William, are especially comparable.

"The Cambridges, she thought, had failed to provide her with the recognition and generosity she deserved. She hated comparisons to the unsatisfactory Kate. The Cambridges seemed effortlessly perfect. Princess Meghan seemed to be influenced by her envy of Kate. The future queen, by contrast, looked down on her neighbor."

"I was not a fan of the Cambridges," she said, "but I was a fan of the future queen.

Although I have never met either duchess and cannot speak to their behind-the-scenes personalities or behavior, Bower is known for his unbridled criticism and his consistent use of negative adjectives when describing Markle and positive ones when describing Middleton I will observe that this creates a particular one-sided impression of the two women. So, I invite you to make up your own mind.