Netizens are discussing whether or not Queen Elizabeth II may have shown signs that she prefers Kate Middleton over Meghan Markle.

One netizen asked on the online forum Quora if the monarch prefers either one of the Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Sussex. One user said the Queen probably favors Middleton and the answer could be down to the Royal Family Order.

The Royal Family Order includes Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Camilla Parker Bowles and Middleton. At present, Markle is not part of it yet and the netizen insisted that it’s a big sign that Her Majesty prefers Middleton over Markle because the list includes the female members of the royal family but not the Duchess of Sussex.

However, many royal followers disagreed. According to Marian Clarke, the bestowing of the Royal Family Order on the Duchess of Cambridge is not a strong basis to conclude which among the two duchesses the Queen prefers.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex only received hers after five years of marriage. The Duchess of Cornwall received her much sooner, after only two years since marrying Prince Charles. Meanwhile, Middleton received the same honor in 2017, six years after she tied the knot with Prince William. Markle and Prince Harry just had their first wedding anniversary in May.

David Byrne, a follower of the royal family, also disagreed. He shared the same point as Clarke.

“Nothing like picking something that three women, who have been married into the Royal Family for years, 20 years in Sophie’s case, opposed to someone who has been married into the family for less than one year, to prove a point about who the Queen prefers. Laughable,” he wrote.

However, the Queen is expected to be more supportive to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. This is down to their rank in the monarchy.

“As the future king and queen consort, Her Majesty will stand by William and Kate and support them just a little more than she will Harry and Meghan,” Robert Arissen wrote.

In related news, Prince Harry and Markle have reportedly snubbed Queen Elizabeth II’s invitation. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no plans to fly to Scotland and join the monarch in Balmoral this summer.

kate queen and meghan
On the left, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in central London, on Nov. 11, 2018. On the right, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the Hubb Community Kitchen on Nov. 21, 2018 in London. Tolga Akmen/Jack Taylor/AFP/Getty Images
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