Meghan Markle's Missteps Are "Increasing Kate Middleton's Stock," Says Royal Expert

Meghan Markle can’t catch a break lately. She flies private, people complain about her privileged life. She attends good friend Serena Williams’ US Open match and when Serena loses, it’s Markle’s fault, says the internet. It hasn’t been easy for the Duchess of Sussex.

Meanwhile, her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, graces the latest cover of PEOPLE, where she talks about what it’s like to be a royal. She spent nearly a decade as Prince William’s girlfriend before the two married, and says during that time she learned about the intense public scrutiny that would always follow her.

“She knew enough, she’d seen enough and she’d experienced enough, so she was very well aware of what the responsibilities and demands were going to be,” Sally Bedell Smith, a biographer of the Queen, tells PEOPLE. “She has the knowledge and the poise.”

Seems like weird timing, right? While royalty-newbie Markle is dealing with so much backlash? One can’t help but think it’s kind of aimed at Markle.

"So many stories have circulated criticizing Meghan's choices lately, that it's not surprising that PEOPLE magazine chose Kate for an uplifting royal cover story," British royal expert Eloise Parker shares with Personal Space. “Kate has never been sidetracked by the showy trappings of a celebrity lifestyle. Years of quiet living and superhuman composure have earned her a consistent popularity with royal fans.”

She adds that the way the world sees it right now is that “Meghan's missteps can't help but increase Kate's stock.”

“It's no secret that Meghan understands how the media works, so to see Kate get such a prominent and positive cover story in the US right now is unlikely to have gone unnoticed,” Parker adds.

British royal expert William Hanson tells us that contrary to what many believe, the Duchess of Cambridge didn't hire some new PR team for her outshine Markle. 

"The Duchess is simply doing her regular work — more of the same — after a short break over the summer, as usual," he explains. "The British are creatures of habit and, frankly, prefer Catherine as we have known her longer. Meghan is new and relatively unknown in comparison."

Hanson also brings up a good point.

"Catherine made many mistakes when she was first engaged and married to Prince William, as Meghan is now. Both are very different and both contribute to the royal family and the wider cause," he says, adding, "No one person is bigger than the institution, however. Catherine understands this as she is a native Brit, and so grew up with a greater consciousness of how the British royal family do things."