Royal expert: Why Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex could never get along

A royal expert reveals why the duchesses could never have made it work. Photo / Getty Images

It's officially curtains for the royal quartet of Princes William and Harry and their wives, Kate and Meghan. And as the couples go their separate ways - the Sussexes having ceased involvement with Will and Kate's charity - a royal expert reveals why the duchesses could never have made it work.

Kensington Palace has confirmed the Royal Foundation is being split between the young royals, citing the couples' desires to focus on their own charity endeavours.

But royal commentator Duncan Larcombe says it's the extremely contrasted backgrounds of Kate and Meghan that is likely the reason for the Sussex break away.

Larcombe told the Sun: "They [Prince Harry and Meghan] are actively trying to create their own team.

"Kate fell into the royal family over a long period of time. Who would Kate be without Prince William? She certainly wouldn't be well-known.

"Meghan without Harry would have been well-known, so she's bound to have more opinions about her PR, how they promote themselves as a couple, what they do with their kids," Larcombe said referring to Markle's former life as a Hollywood actress.

Royal commentator Duncan Larcombe says it's the extremely contrasted backgrounds of Kate and Meghan that is likely the reason for the Sussex break away. Photo / Getty Images

The women's entries into the royal family couldn't have been more different either. A young Kate Middleton met Prince William as a teenager at St Andrew's University, while Markle, 37, was a 35-year-old divorcee when she was introduced to Harry.

When they met Markle was worth an estimated $6.9 million, according to the Sun and she had established herself as both an actress and a women's rights advocate.

Larcombe told the Sun, "Meghan is no shrinking violet. She's not going to sit back and take Harry's lead on everything.

"She had a million followers on Instagram before she met Harry. Kate didn't. So there's going to be a difference."

In contrast, when William was courting Kate, after she graduated she worked for her parents' company Party Pieces, and interned at Jigsaw. In 2011 she became the Duchess of Cambridge.

But while Kate has almost never put a foot wrong under the eye of the Queen, Markle has been called out for numerous royal faux pas, and slammed for her extravagant spending on the likes of her New York baby shower.

Most recently, at the Trooping of the Colour, it was claimed Harry had to tell his wife to "turn around" while the family stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Larcombe surmised the Duchess of Sussex, 37, would not have responded well to this.

He said: "It was interesting about the lip readers with Harry telling Meghan to turn around on the balcony. Clearly Harry is trying to help Meghan and advise her and ease her in.

"But quite clearly at the same time, Meghan has arrived in the royal family with her own knowledge of the media, her own knowledge of her profile and has clearly been upset by some of the things that have been written about her which historically she would have just responded to or dealt with.

"The royal way is never complain, never explain. Meghan represents a very new entity within the royal family."