My deepest apologies to everyone who has been busy writing fanfic about Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton's friendship: ever since Meghan and Prince Harry announced that they are stepping down as senior members of the royal family, things have not looked good between them.

It already looked like things were strained between the royal couple - earlier reports said Kate and Prince William were "still reeling" from Harry and Meghan's abdication (opens in new tab) - and now it looks like Kate and Meghan are not keeping in touch ... A source told Us Weekly (opens in new tab) that "Kate and Meghan have not spoken since [the royal abdication] happened." [Hmmm!

Nevertheless, Meghan doesn't seem too concerned about the cracks in her relationship with Kate. A source said, "Meghan feels free. She couldn't be happier. She is happy to be away from London." (Open in new tab) In other words, it seems she is too busy focusing on her new life with Archie and Harry to get involved in the royal drama.

But Meghan and Kate are not the only ones who have been strained since the transition: William and Harry reportedly had to engage in "secret peace talks" (open in new tab) after the alleged feud (open in new tab). A source said, "They decided to cut out all the toxic people around them in order to face them one-on-one as brothers. Given that Harry was going away permanently, there was a realization that if they didn't fix things now, they never would"

. [So at least Harry and Will are close! For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

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