All heads turned when Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle arrived at a reception celebrating their father-in-law Prince Charles’s 50 years of service to the crown. Accompanied by their husbands, Princes William and Prince Harry, the duchesses smiled beautifully as they entered Buckingham Palace’s White Drawing Room just behind Queen Elizabeth.

As the royals mixed with the other guests, the 92-year-old monarch kept a close eye on her two granddaughters-in-law who had not been seen together since Christmas. Tired of hearing reports of a feud between Kate and Meghan, both 37, Her Majesty hoped to use the reception as a show of unity.

“Setting a good example is at the top of the queen’s list of priorities,” a royal insider revealed to Closer Weekly in an exclusive new interview, on newsstands now. But while the younger royals enjoyed a pleasant night at the March 5 event, they did little to end the gossip. “Everyone was very civil, but William and Kate worked the room separately from Harry and Meghan,” the source added.

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Body language expert Dr. Lillian Glass noted a lack of connection between the women. “Kate was keeping her distance from Meghan,” noted Dr. Glass. “There is no love lost between them.” The queen has seen her family embroiled in bigger scandals —  her son, Charles’ acrimonious divorce from Princess Diana in 1996 cast a long shadow — but she’s irked that the conjecture about a feud between the women has not stopped. “The British newspapers are delivered to the queen every morning — she’s growing tired of reading about Meghan and Kate’s rift and is doing everything in her power to sort it out,” the insider stated.

The rumors began when the two women reportedly clashed during a fitting of Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid gown ahead of Meghan’s May 2018 wedding to Harry. “Meghan is determined to do things her way, even if it means breaking protocol,” the source dished. An even bigger impediment to her friendship with Kate is their different personalities. “Kate is easygoing,” while “Megan is a perfectionist,” the insider observed.

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Queen Elizabeth has already had a word with William and Harry about the friction. “The queen is extremely fair and isn’t taking sides,” said the source. Privately, she has also encouraged Kate to offer her assistance to Meghan, who is expecting her first baby with Harry in the spring. “She believes that once Meghan gives birth, the two of them will have more in common and will bond over their children,” they added. Kate and Meghan might never become best friends, but it’s likely they will put their differences aside out of loyalty to Her Majesty. “The queen is confident that she’ll be able to get Kate and Meghan back on track,” said the insider. “It’s just not going to happen overnight.”

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