The Reason Meghan & Prince Harry Missed Kate's B-Day Party Actually Makes So Much Sense

It's beyond time to put the feud rumors between Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton to rest, but that hasn't stopped some from trying to make a fuss. After the Duchess of Sussex wasn't at her sister-in-law's birthday party, speculation emerged again. But, there's a reason Markle and Prince Harry weren't at Middleton's party, as ELLE reported. And it has nothing to do with any of this rumored strife.

On Jan. 6, the Duchess of Cambridge reportedly had a private birthday celebration at her and Prince William's country home in Norfolk, England. According to the Daily Mail, Markle supposedly "didn't get an invite" to the celebration. Now, it's more than likely that her lack of an invite means absolutely nothing for their relationship. But, that hasn't stopped some sources from insinuating that the apparent snub means that there's still bad blood between the two duchesses.

However, that doesn't appear to be the case. A royal source recently told ELLE that there's a pretty simple explanation for why Markle and Harry did not attend Middleton's party. The source said that after spending some time with the rest of the royal family (including Middleton and William), the soon-to-be parents went to their Cotswold country home to get some relaxation time in.

Why might that be important? Well, apparently the couple wanted to take some time off before Markle was to announce the four patronages she would be taking on, which came with an appearance at Smart Works on Jan. 10 to boot. The source went on to note that the newlyweds never intended to travel to Norfolk, where the party was held. So, it's clear that their busy schedules (and not any feud drama) were behind why they couldn't party it up with Middleton.

This "feud" has been an ongoing theme that many have tried to pass off as true. But, based on all of the reports to the contrary, it doesn't seem like there's any drama between the duchesses — at all. That hasn't doesn't mean that some sources haven't tried to push forward this narrative. On Dec. 1, The Sun published a report that alleged that the royal women got into an "explosive row" over the way Markle was speaking to a member of Middleton's staff.

In response to that report, Kensington Palace (which rarely speaks out on matters such as these) told the publication, "This never happened." If that wasn't enough to put an end to this feud speculation, a source also told Us Weekly, in late November, that there's no drama between the duchesses. They said:

“The ‘feud’ is definitely being played up. Are they the best of friends? No. Do they speak every waking second? No. Do they hate each other? Absolutely not."

Interestingly enough, the source went on to note that the pair's relationship is quite strong, owing to the fact that they're both in such high-profile positions. "They are two women under serious amounts of pressure, stress and under a huge spotlight that no one can relate to – they will always have a bond that no one can break," they told Us Weekly.

Considering all of the reports that have flat-out denied that there's any kind of drama brewing between Middleton and Markle, maybe it's time that everyone stops trying to make this "feud" happen. Clearly, it's not going to happen.