Kate Middleton Was ‘Daunted’ By Meghan Markle’s ‘Energy,’ Body Language Expert Says

When Meghan Markle joined the royal family in 2018, many onlookers wanted her to become close with Kate Middleton. In hindsight, however, it was clear that the odds were stacked against their potential friendship.

Royal experts have proposed many reasons why Meghan and Kate were distant from each other. One body language expert believes a part of it was because Kate was “daunted” by what Meghan brought to the table.

Meghan Markle wanted to ‘hit the ground running’

Before meeting Prince Harry, Meghan had established a career as a TV actor. Most notably, her biggest role was playing Rachel Zane on Suits. Additionally, Meghan also had a side job as an influencer. She created a lifestyle brand called The Tig, where she shared with fans her interests in cooking, fashion, and travel.

When Meghan came into the royal family, she did so as a person with many life experiences under her belt. A few months before her wedding to Harry, Meghan said she hoped to “hit the ground running” with her royal work.

“For me it’s very important to want to hit the ground running… even if it’s doing it quietly behind the scenes, which is what I’ve focused my energy on thus far,” she said at the Royal Foundation Forum in February 2018, according to BBC. “[I have also been] meeting with the organisations behind the scenes quietly, learning as much as I can so I can maximise the opportunity we have here to really make an impact.”

Kate Middleton was ‘daunted’ by Meghan Markle’s ‘energy,’ body language expert says

In a new article about Kate’s and Meghan’s body language, expert Judi James speculated that Kate was “daunted” by Meghan’s “energy.” For comparison, after Kate joined the royal family, she took things slowly to settle into her new role.

“I believe Kate might even have been daunted by her new sister-in-law’s confidence, energy and professionalism,” James said, according to Mirror.

James also pointed out how differently they behaved during the Royal Foundation Forum in 2018. The expert noted, “But even so, despite matching frocks there was already a sense from Meghan and Kate’s body language that Meghan’s experience, passion, drive and urgency for her cause was in contrast to Kate’s method of sitting back in her seat and watching the on-stage sibling tussle with a polite smile.”

“Kate had spent years being marinated in royal rules, procedures and restrictions, so Meghan’s sense of purpose for a cause must have hit like a bath bomb,” James said.

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle did not have opportunities to become close

In an updated version of his book, Meghan: The Hollywood Princess, author Andrew Morton shared that Kate and Meghan did not have many opportunities to become close.

For one thing, Morton wrote, Kate was pregnant for much of the time leading up to Meghan’s wedding. She often experiences hyperemesis gravidarum during her pregnancy. According to Morton, Kate “did not have much energy” to get to know Meghan.

Morton also explained that, despite being neighbors at Kensington Palace, Kate and Meghan did not spend their off-days together.

“Kate spent weekends and holidays at Anmer Hall, the Cambridges’ country home in Norfolk, while Meghan and Harry were approximately three hours’ drive away, living in a large, remote, rented property on the Great Tew Estate in Oxfordshire,” Morton said.

As a result, Kate and Meghan seemed to have their own separate lives away from each other.