I shared my “take” on the body language between the Cambridges and Sussexes yesterday – for the Christmas Day walk in Sandringham, I thought Kate and Meghan “performed” very well. It almost looked like they were BOTH told to put on a good show of friendship, and both behaved impeccably. But what struck me about the body language was that the duchesses were doing the work to keep William and Harry apart, and that the brothers seem to still be on the outs. Which was perhaps the story from the beginning – that was the undercurrent of the smear campaign against Meghan, and that was the basis for the most believable stories from the campaign: that William and Harry have had a significant falling out over the past year, and their wives are being set up as the “fall guys” for the brothers’ feud. Still, the British tabloids don’t want to look any further than the “the war of the duchesses” and that’s why we get stories like this:

Kate and Meghan called a Christmas truce on the orders of the Queen and Prince Charles. The feuding duchesses smiled and walked side by side as the royals went to church at Sandringham. A royal source said: “It was a bit uncomfortable.”

Kate, William, Harry and Meghan are a picture of family affection as they walk side by side to church — after the Queen ordered the feuding Duchesses to make peace for Christmas. The two couples responded with an unwavering display of unity, with Kate and Meghan smiling and even chatting together. Both the Queen and Prince Charles had made it plain the rift must be kept under wraps during the Royals’ traditional Christmas gathering at Sandringham.

A source said: “The Queen and Charles have allowed the situation to play out without overtly interfering — but they both made it clear that Christmas was for the whole family to really come together. That meant the two couples walking into church together as the Fab Four just like they had last year. Yes, it was awkward and uncomfortable given what’s gone on over the past 12 months. But the alternative of even more negativity on Christmas Day wasn’t worth thinking about.”

Her Majesty also wanted Kate and pregnant Meghan to be on good terms by the time they sat down as a family to watch her Christmas speech at 3pm.

[From The Sun]

As I said a month ago, any story that ends with “…and Charles stepped in and saved the day” obviously comes from the Prince of Wales’ camp at Clarence House. It’s not enough that Meghan and Kate were seen looking friendly – their Christmas truce has to be part of Charles’ PR, that he’s the wise future king who keeps the younger royals in line. The problem isn’t Charles’ relationship with his two daughters-in-law though. All of this is about the brothers AND Charles. Can Charles do anything about the feud between William and Harry? Will Charles do anything?

Photos courtesy of WENN.