Meghan close to journalist who wrote 'false article' saying Kate feels 'trapped and exhausted', says source
Following reports that the Duchess of Cambridge was suing Tatler magazine for publishing an article which claimed that she felt “trapped and exhausted” in the royal family, it was recently revealed that the journalist who wrote the article had ties with Meghan Markle's best friend Jessica Mulroney.
The piece in question was written by Anna Pasternak, who is friends with ex-Tatler journalist Vanessa Mulroney, the sister-in-law of Jessica Mulroney. There is no indication that Pasternak was briefed about any scoop regarding Kate Middleton's mental or physical state directly by Meghan. However, in the past, many of the former 'Suits' actress' friends somehow managed to get their hands on confidential information about her family, especially her deteriorating relationship with her estranged father, Thomas Markle.
“Pasternak’s article caused immense unnecessary pain for Kate and its central claim that she felt trapped and unhappy was wildly untrue. Pasternak is sticking to her story and saying her sources are good. She is very well connected in the US. She is friends with Vanessa Mulroney who used to work at 'Tatler' and now lives in Canada. And Vanessa’s sister-in-law Jessica is Meghan’s best friend. It’s intriguing," a royal source told the Sun.
The present issue arose when Tatler came out with their July/August cover which featured the duchess on its cover with the headline 'Catherine The Great'. It featured articles claiming that Kate was experiencing eating disorders due to the renewed pressure of additional responsibilities after Megxit, which had left her “perilously thin like Princess Diana”. It also reported that the alleged feud between Meghan and Kate’s was sparked by a row over Charlotte wearing tights to her royal wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.
“It was a hot day and apparently there was a row over whether the bridesmaids should wear tights or not. Kate, following protocol, felt that they should. Meghan didn't want them to,” the insider said, adding Kate went on to “put Meghan in her place”, reprimanding her for speaking down to Kensington Palace staff. The Tatler article further angered palace insiders after it quoted a source claiming Harry and Meghan quitting for America had “effectively thrown Kate's children under a bus.”
Although the Buckingham Palace has not commented on the article, a Kensington Palace spokesman said: “This story contains a swathe of inaccuracies and false misrepresentations which were not put to Kensington Palace prior to publication."
After the palace lawyers issued a legal complaint last week against the magazine’s publishers, Tatler spokesman Emily Hallie said: “We can confirm we have received correspondence from lawyers acting for the Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge and believe it has no merit.” The magazine’s editor also said he stood behind journalist Pasternak and her sources.
Tatler also released a statement saying they got in touch with the palace a month ago. "Tatler's Editor-in-Chief Richard Dennen stands behind the reporting of Anna Pasternak and her sources. Kensington Palace knew we were running the 'Catherine the Great' cover months ago and we asked them to work together on it. The fact they are denying they ever knew is categorically false," a Tatler spokesperson said.