- Insider asked royal experts to point out photos of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle that are hardly used by the British press.
- Even though ITV's royal editor Chris Ship last year reported that the "issue" was only "between William and Harry," that didn't stop rumors of a rift between the women.
- Most recently, one report in US Weekly, which was cited by the Express, claimed that the duchesses haven't spoken since Markle left the royal family.
- Markle and Middleton have been photographed sharing many happy moments together. However it's possible these images haven't been used by the media as they don't fit with this "rift" narrative.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Markle and Middleton shared a hug at a Commonwealth Day service in 2019, "a formal event that probably didn't require embraces at all."
"I'm sure plenty of critics will look at this photo and see a one-armed hug that's insincere," royal commentator Kristen Meinzer told Insider. "But what I see is Kate being both gentle and affectionate with her heavily pregnant sister-in-law.
"I see a look on Meghan's face that says, 'I'm so happy to see you,'" she added.
"I see what might be a funny joke or a sweet word being whispered between the two. And I see both of them choosing to embrace each other at a formal event that probably didn't require embraces at all."
Meanwhile, this photo of the women with Princes William and Harry has been one of the most popular photos from that event.
This photo of the "Fab Four" circulated in the press at around the same time of there being rumors of a rift between the couples.
As Marlene Koenig — royal author and expert on British and European royalty — points out, photos from this time may have been used strategically to support this narrative.
"The British press picks up something, the way they look at each other, it's 'oh they hate each other.'
"But that's a photo frame. You go to the next photo frame and they're smiling," Koenig told Insider.
"To use one example, there was a video back in the '80s in Canada when the little princes [Harry and William] were brought to see their parents after a trip.
"You see the little boys run into Diana's arms, [and] 'oh, they weren't hugged by their father.' What was cut was them also embracing their father, and he was just as loving as their mother."
A rarely used photo from their Wimbledon appearance in 2019 shows the pair engrossed in conversation.
"Look at how Kate is leaning in here, and Meghan is gazing into Kate's eyes," Meinzer said.
"It almost looks as though Meghan is confiding in Kate and that Kate is doing her best to offer her full physical attention to whatever Meghan is saying."
Another image shows them grinning at each other during the same event.
"This is the kind of photo good friends save on their phones. It's filled with warmth and smiles," Meinzer said.
"It's at a happy moment at a happy place. They seem fully engrossed with each other — joyously so. I look at this and think, 'there's something special these two share.'"
Koenig added: "There's this perception that they hate each other... but I just saw [this] photo of them smiling together at Wimbledon.
"Kate's smile did not look fake, but they have two different lives, two different roles," she said.
"It's sometimes more of a cooperation in a way, and sometimes the finally dynamics won't work out," she added, in reference to the reported rift between the Cambridges and the Sussexes.
"But that probably could be said for many millions of families."
They made another private outing last year as they took their children to watch Prince William and Prince Harry play polo.
"I love these photos so much! At the time of this event, I remember vividly all the papers publishing photos of Kate playing with her children and separate photos of Meghan walking around all alone, holding young Archie," Menizer said.
"These photos show otherwise. They are together! Kate is laughing! Louis is reaching for his aunt and cousin! They are having fun."
However, this popular photo taken on the same day makes it appear as though Meghan was being ignored by Kate.
"This [photo] seemed to be implying that, while everyone was at the same event, Meghan was either being ignored by her in laws, or choosing to ignore them," Menzier said of the above photo.
In this photo, taken at Wimbledon 2018, the duchesses "mirror each other without even intending to."
"I love how in sync these two are here. Their body language and warm smiles match up," Meinzer said.
"They're enjoying each other's company and enjoying greeting their supporters. Neither is copying the other or trying to push back against the other. They're just doing what friends and family often do — mirroring each other without even intending to."
They leaned in to chat as they watched the Championship match that same day.
"Is it just me, or does it look like these two are up to no good here? Look at that naughty expression on Kate's face. Look at how intently Meghan is listening. Look at how intimate their body language is, with both of them leaning in close," Meinzer added.
It likely won't ever be confirmed if there was a rift between the women. Buckingham Palace has never officially spoken on the subject, as Koenig points out.
"We don't know what went on behind the scenes, if Kate welcomed her into the family," she said. "I would hope so, but I don't have knowledge on this as no-one has talked about it."
However, it's clear from these photos that Markle and Middleton have shared plenty of happy moments together since the Duchess of Sussex married into the family — which is a different story than what we've often been told.
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