Here’s why Kate Middleton's style has relaxed since Meghan Markle’s resignation

'Kate feels very much more relaxed now'

Sure, being a royal has its advantages – the fashion, the princes, the tiaras, the castles – but it definitely also has its drawbacks, from the end of privacy and the dreaded rumour mill to constantly being put in competition.

No one knows this more than the two millennial Duchesses, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.

Since joining the royal fold, the two Duchesses have been pitted against each other by the press, something that according to sources, forced both women to change their fashion styles in order to keep up with each other.

A source close to Kate Middleton has explained that since the Sussexes’ split from the royal family, the Duchess of Cambridge’s style has changed as she is no longer in constant comparison.

‘Someone who knows Kate well said “the atmosphere since the Sussexes left has noticeably improved,”’ a royal source told The Sun. ‘Kate does not feel she has to compete now. She has gone back to a much simpler style. Kate feels very much more relaxed now.’

The source continued: ‘She most definitely went through a phase two years ago where she seemed slightly intimidated by Meghan. She was afraid of comparisons being drawn between them and that Meghan was the one who looked glamorous and popular for a while.’

Neither Duchess has commented.