Royal experts explain why Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are treated so differently

Meghan Markle faced a relentless wave of abuse since joining the royal fold, with everything from her fashion choices to her decisions regarding the upbringing of baby Archie and now Lilibet never failing to divide the public and make viral news.

The endless stream of online bullying, from mum shaming to body shaming, has endured for years, to the point where she and Prince Harry were forced to leave the royal family to get some privacy.

One of the most constant themes of the abuse was being compared to sister-in-law and national treasure, Kate Middleton.

"[Meghan] feels that there is a standard set very high [by Kate Middleton]", a source reportedly told Us Weekly, going on to explain that "it’s discouraging that the British public holds her up to that."

So why have Meghan and Kate been treated so differently?

Royal expert Omid Scobie weighed in on the subject, and according to him, it’s all about strategy.

"I think William and Kate play it safe," he explained to True Royalty TV. "That’s where it goes right for them. Kate has never really taken on a controversial topic."

He continued: "Her focus on the early years, childhood development, has been a really clever choice although we may, as journalists, find it boring at times. It has positioned her very favourably in the eyes of the public and she’s not tried to do anything too differently.

"For them it works, for Harry and Meghan, they didn’t want to play it that way because it can be a little bit boring."

Well, that makes sense, but trying to make positive change should not be a reason to be bullied. It's 2022 - and pitting women against each other should be a thing of the past.