Meghan Markle envies Kate Middleton's plan to 'modernise' royal family, says royal biographer

Prince William and Kate Middleton are said to be looking for ways to modernise the Firm and this includes appealing to the younger generation. It is believed that they want to ditch their royal titles when in public.

A source claimed that "they want to be more approachable, less formal, less stuffy, and break away with a lot of the tradition." They plan "to tear up the rulebook in their bid to "move with the times." This means they would rather be called by their first names and ditch their Duke and Duchess of Cambridge titles during royal visits.

Royal author Duncan Larcombe said it is part of the couple's plans to "modernise" the royal family. He called it a "great idea" and told Closer magazine, "William and Kate's brand is becoming a lot more modern, and they want to be seen as a down-to-earth and approachable couple."

"They're likely to keep their titles for banquets and state visits, but if they're working for a charity, the person showing them around will have been encouraged to, 'Call me William, call me Catherine,'" he explained.

However, Larcombe claimed this move from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would "not likely go down well" with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. He claimed that the former "Suits" actress "always wanted to be the 'modern royal" and "felt a bit like she had to live up to Kate's standards."

He added, "I imagine Meghan will be furious that Kate is now being hailed as the 'modern royal' herself and stolen her thunder. I imagine there's also a pang of regret that if they had stayed, they could have been the fab four modernising the monarchy together."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal duties in January 2020 and left Prince William and Kate Middleton to do most of the work they left behind. While they have been stripped of their royal patronages, they still continue to use their royal titles in public engagements, most recently at the Invictus Games in the Netherlands. Larcombe said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex "cannot get rid of their titles, they're trapped with them because they need their royal association" to be able to become financially independent.