MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry have today been branded “hypocritical” by royal experts after leaking private correspondence with Kate Middleton and Prince William.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes confirmed the couple had “privately congratulated” the Cambridges on their 10 year marriage milestone.
The leak, published by The Daily Beast, comes despite the couple insisting on privacy after they quit the Royal Family – with fears constant leaks about their relationship with the Firm could put a hoped-for reconciliation at risk.
Royal experts today slammed the confirmation as “hypocritical” – saying the couple had leaked information about private conversations to the press despite pleading for privacy.
Phil Dampier, author of Royally Suited: Harry and Meghan In Their Own Words, said: “The Queen and Prince Charles made their messages of congratulations to William and Kate on their tenth anniversary in public so why didn’t Harry and Meghan?
“Instead they relied on their spokespeople leaking out the fact they sent a message, making it look manipulated and contrived.”
The Queen was one of the first to publicly congratulate William and Kate – with a message on her official Twitter account, sharing a sweet post online.
And Mr Dampier claimed the relationship between the Cambridges and Sussexes had been “broken” over the past two years – with leaks making it difficult to repair.
He added: “William’s big fear is that anything he says to his brother in an effort to heal their rift is immediately leaked to the media, and that makes it very difficult for them to have a proper conversation.
“To carry on a war with Harry’s blood family is unnecessary and counter-productive, and the sooner they realise that the better.
“They should get on with their lives, stop playing the victim and stop playing on their royal connections by leaking stories while pleading for privacy.
“People can see through it and anyone who advises them to carry on this way is giving them bad advice.”
William and Kate yesterday released a sweet new video to celebrate their ten anniversary – showing the doting parents playing with their three kids.
Candid footage shows the family of five scrambling on sand dunes and roasting marshmallows on a campfire.
The images were publicly released online on the couple’s Twitter and Instagram pages.
And Royal Expert Angela Levin – who has previously been critical of the couple – told Sun Online: “Harry and Meghan are of course being hypocritical, still briefing the media.
“On the other hand if they hadn’t told the press about wishing them a happy anniversary everyone would have criticised them – which we’re not allowed to do because whatever they say and whatever they do can’t be questioned anymore.
“Their choice was to send it privately but everyone has to know how good they are by publicising it through their huge PR group of people.
“I think William and Kate don’t give a hoot about whether they wish them a happy anniversary or not but they need to talk about the things that really matter.
“They need to be talking to each other confidently and privately so they can trust each other and try and make amends over this huge chasm there between them.
“I don’t know what they said in the message but I doubt that it was full of love and comfort.”
Since walking down the aisle ten years ago, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have welcomed three adorable kids and embarked on some glamorous foreign tours.
William and Kate tied the knot on April 29 2011 in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey that was watched by two billion people across the world.
The couple first met while studying art history at St Andrew’s University, where the Prince fell head over heels for Kate during a charity fashion show she was modelling in.
