Meghan Markle linked to journalist who wrote controversial Kate Middleton profile in Tatler
Kate Middleton is suing a UK magazine over a negative profile of her, as reports emerge Meghan Markle has potential links to the journalist.
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Claims that Duchess Catherine feels “trapped and exhausted” in the royal family were written by a journalist with close links to Meghan Markle, it has been reported.
The Duchess of Cambridge is suing Tatler magazine over an article that Kensington Palace says is full of falsehoods and “inaccuracies”.
The piece was written by writer Anna Pasternak, who sources told The Sun is friends with ex-Tatler journalist Vanessa Mulroney, the sister-in-law of Meghan’s best friend, Jessica Mulroney.
There is no suggestion that Meghan briefed Pasternak herself.
Last year five friends of Meghan famously briefed People magazine about the hard time she was having in the royal family.
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And Tatler insisted it was standing by its story.
But a royal source said: “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.”
Canadian fashion stylist Jessica, 40, has been close friends with Meghan for years.
Five of Meghan’s so-called “inner circle” briefed People in 2018 to defend the Duchess over her wedding to Prince Harry and her relationship with her dad, Thomas Markle.
Jessica was widely reported to have been one of the five – but it has never been proved. Meghan denied asking them to do it.
Meghan has also been accused in court of enlisting Jessica to put pressure on a former business advisor to ensure a “more favourable article” about the Duchess.
The claims emerged during Meghan’s legal battle with the Mail on Sunday over publication of a letter she wrote to her father.
Jessica was accused of contacting Gina Nelthorpe-Cowne, Meghan’s former agent, after she was interviewed by the newspaper.
Earlier this year her husband Ben Mulroney, 43, was forced to defend Jessica after she was accused by royal watchers of making a dig at Kate on Instagram.
Kate had released photographs of Holocaust survivors before Jessica posted: “Pretty pictures are pretty pictures.
“Strive to use your platform for good and spread stories of incredible people striving to make this world a better place.”
But Ben denied it was an attack on Kate tweeting: “Shame on anyone who has tried to twist it into anything else.”
Kate’s reported legal action against Tatler was described by the magazine’s bosses as having “no merit”.
It comes as Kensington 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.”
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Tatler’s July/August features the duchess on its front cover with the headline “Catherine The Great”.
The article angered the palace which also made reference to eating disorders, suggesting Kate has become “perilously thin like Princess Diana”.
It also claimed Meghan and Kate’s rift was sparked by a row over Charlotte wearing tights to her royal wedding to Harry in 2018.
Tatler further angered royal aides quoting a source claiming Harry and Meghan quitting for America had “effectively thrown her children under a bus”.
Pasternak had previously penned a biography of Diana called Princess In Love in 1994.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “This story contains a swath of inaccuracies and false misrepresentations which were not put to Kensington Palace prior to publication.”
The palace did not want to comment further on Tatler’s response.
This story originally appeared on The Sun and has been reproduced here with permission
Originally published as Meghan Markle linked to journalist who wrote controversial Kate Middleton profile in Tatler