Why Meghan Markle's Haters Are Lashing out Over Perceived Kate Middleton Slight

Middleton's fans believe that Markle intentionally used social media to undercut Middleton's big moment at Trooping the Colour.

By Michael Hein

Kate Middleton fans suspected that Meghan Markle intentionally overshadowed her return to the spotlight last week, but sources close to Markle say that's not the case. Middleton surprised the world by stepping out in public for the first time since her cancer diagnosis to attend Trooping the Color. On the same day, Markle partnered with pro polo player Nacho Figueras to launch her new American Riviera Orchard products, but the timing reportedly wasn't planned.

Middleton attended the annual Trooping the Colour event on Saturday, June 15, celebrating the British military and the monarch's birthday. She did not ride in the parade, but she made sure she was seen prominently watching the Royal Air Force's flypast performance with her children. She announced her plans to attend the event a day in advance, writing: "I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal."

This was a big deal for Middleton and the British royal family in general – Middleton's last official public appearance was on Christmas Day 2023, and her absence made headlines for months before she publicly disclosed her cancer diagnosis. Since then, she has avoided giving a timeline for her return to public life, but most estimates have been much longer than this. Understandably, royal admirers thought that all eyes should be on Middleton, but reporters couldn't help but take note of Markle's moves.

Markle was not actually the culprit for this snafu. The Duchess of Sussex has been slowly teasing the launch of her American Riviera Orchard brand for lifestyle products, and a social media campaign is a big part of that. However, she did not make any big announcements or posts on Saturday herself. Instead, Prince Harry's friend and polo rival Figuearas shared a photo of a new ARO product on his Instagram Story.

According to a report by The Daily Beast, Markle did not ask Figuearas to make that post on Saturday. A marketing expert also spoke to the outlet, explaining that Figueras likely received the new product as a gift, and it probably also came with a request to post about his experience on social media. However, Markle and ARO would have had no direct input on that post or when it went live.

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"While I am sure the gift packages came with notes requesting social media coverage, you can't tell Nacho Figueras what to do, so I think it's certain the timing of his post was his own idea," they said. "The larger point here is that the American Riviera Orchard campaign has been phenomenally successful and cost Meghan nothing. It is a textbook social media campaign. The only problem is that there still seems to be nothing actually for sale, so what is it all for? I guess we will find out."

There's no telling when Middleton will make her next outing, nor when Markle will take the next slow step in rolling out American Riviera Orchard. Neither woman has commented directly on this perceived slight themselves.

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