Author who wrote controversial Tatler article claiming Kate Middleton felt 'trapped and exhausted' is friends with sister-in-law of Meghan Markle's BFF Jessica Mulroney, sources claim
- Anna Pasternak is said to be friends with ex-Tatler journalist Vanessa Mulroney
- Vanessa is the sister-in-law of Meghan Markle's best friend Jessica Mulroney
- Tatler article claimed Kate fell out with Meghan in a row over Charlotte's tights
- But Kensington Palace has claimed article contains 'a swathe of inaccuracies'
Allegations over a rift between the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex were written by a journalist with links to Meghan Markle, it was claimed today.
Anna Pasternak wrote claims in Tatler including that Kate Middleton felt 'exhausted and trapped' in the Royal Family and fell out with Meghan in a row over whether Princess Charlotte should wear tights as a bridesmaid at her wedding and that she consulted a psychic.
But Kensington Palace has claimed the journalist's article - entitled Catherine The Great - contains 'a swathe of inaccuracies and false representations'.
Meghan Markle is friends with fashion stylist Jessica Mulroney (left, in Toronto in 2015), whose sister-in-law Vanessa Mulroney (right, with Jessica in 2014) is a former Tatler journalist
Royal officials have sent a legal letter to the magazine, demanding it remove the piece from its website, but Tatler has replied by saying the complaint 'has no merit.'
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Now it is claimed married mother-of-one Ms Pasternak is friends with former Tatler journalist Vanessa Mulroney, who is the sister-in-law of Meghan's best friend Jessica Mulroney.
Journalist Anna Pasternak wrote the article for Tatler about the Duchess of Cambridge
A source told the Sun: 'Pasternak's article caused immense unnecessary pain for Kate and its central claim that she felt trapped and unhappy was wildly untrue.
'Pasternak is sticking to her story and saying her sources are good. She is very well connected in the US. She is friends with Vanessa Mulroney who used to work at Tatler and now lives in Canada.
'And Vanessa's sister-in-law Jessica is Meghan's best friend. It's intriguing.'
Oxford-educated Ms Pasternak, who lives in Oxfordshire with her husband Andrew and daughter Daisy, is a vastly experienced journalist who has written for every UK national newspaper.
She wrote a recent book on Wallis Simpson called The American Duchess and 1994's Princess In Love about Princess Diana's affair with James Hewitt.
There is no suggestion that Meghan briefed Ms Pasternak. Meghan's best friend Jessica Mulroney is a 39-year-old fashion stylist based in Canada.
She was said to have helped looked after baby Archie while his parents, Prince Harry and Meghan, were in Britain earlier this year before stepping down as senior royals.
Kensington Palace has written a legal letter to Tatler about the article in its latest issue
Page boys John and Brian Mulroney accompany Meghan Markle as she arrives in a car for her wedding to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in May 2018
Mrs Mulroney's children John, Brian and Ivy were page boys and a flower girl at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding at Windsor Castle in May 2018.
In January, it was claimed Meghan asked Mrs Mulroney to contact Gina Nelthorpe-Cowne, Meghan's former agent and business advisor, over quotes she gave to the Mail on Sunday.
Ms Nelthorpe-Cowne revealed in the newspaper in April 2018 how Meghan told her she was going out with Prince Harry during a lunch in London's Covent Garden.
Meghan is said to have contacted Mrs Mulroney and asked her to intervene and request that Ms Nelthorpe-Cowne adjusted her quotes to ensure a 'more favourable' article.
The claims were revealed in legal documents during Meghan's battle with the newspaper over the publication of a letter she wrote to her father Thomas.
Tatler has been contacted for comment over the Sun's article today. A spokesman said yesterday: 'We can confirm we have received correspondence from lawyers acting for the Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge and believe it has no merit.'
Tatler had said previously that it stands by the journalist and her sources. The result of the stand-off means the ball is now firmly back in the Cambridges' court.
They have a number of options but the most likely is to complain to Ipso, the independent media regulator which Tatler, part of the Conde Nast empire, is signed up to. Ipso would then adjudicate on the merits of William and Kate's complaint.
The couple could also take the issue to court, but it is unlikely that the Cambridges, who successfully sued French magazine Closer for publishing topless pictures of Kate, would be keen to do so, given how time-consuming and costly it is likely to be.
Kensington Palace has not gone into detail about their complaint but they are known to be very unhappy about the magazine's claim that the duchess feels 'exhausted and trapped' by the increased workload following Harry and Meghan's decision to step back, which they say is untrue.
William is also believed to be upset by the suggestion that Carole Middleton has become 'the mummy he's always wanted', feeling it is incredibly disrespectful to his late mother.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sit behind the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on Commonwealth Day on March 9
Other parts of the article, including references to Kate's weight and choice of 'Buckinghamshire five-star hotel' home decor, are considered incredibly snobbish.
Kensington Palace declined to comment on Tatler's response last night. Last week it said: 'This story contains a swathe of inaccuracies and false misrepresentations which were not put to Kensington Palace prior to publication.'
Kate made her first appearance since the row in a video early today. She and William praised the Australian emergency services in a message filmed at their Norfolk home for today's Thank A First Responder Day. Kate wore a yellow dress in honour of the country's national colour.
William spoke of the wildfires that destroyed vast swathes of Australia. 'Earlier this year, we witnessed thousands of firefighters, supported by the wider first responder community, as they worked tirelessly risking their own lives. The world was watching your efforts, and we were deeply moved by what we saw,' he said.
Kate added: 'Sadly you're now on the front line of yet another emergency. The Covid-19 outbreak has brought first responders across Australia together again. Today, on Australia's inaugural Thank A First Responder Day, you all deserve our huge thanks.'
