To the outside eye, the Queen seems to have a tight-knit relationship with the both Prince William and Prince Harry’s wives. But according to the U.’s Mirror, one royal expert has reason to believe Queen Elizabeth is close to Meghan Markle, not Kate Middleton. Although to be clear, this doesn’t mean the Queen isn’t fond of Kate — they simply have a very different dynamic, claims the source.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward, the editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, suggested to Sun Online that Her Majesty feels more of a kinship with Meghan. Not by any fault of Kate’s, per se, but simply because the Queen and Meghan have similar interests. “The Queen admires Kate tremendously but does not have an intimate relationship with her as they don’t have much in common. I think the Queen and Kate have a more serious relationship as obviously Kate holds all the Queen’s hope for the future and she would not want to do anything to upset that,” said Seward.

As for Meghan, Seward believes the Duchess of Sussex — much like her husband — knows how to make the Queen laugh, a trait she appreciates. Plus, they both love dogs! Added Seward, “With Meghan, she would tread very carefully and do her best to make her feel at home.”

Lately, the Queen’s outings with Kate seem to dominate headlines. It makes sense, of course, that Kate would be more present in the royal family events at the moment. She and William are second in line for the throne, putting them in a position to be named King and Queen consort and adding to the weight of their roles and responsibilities within the monarchy. Also, Meghan is still on maternity leave, so no one is seeing much of the Duchess of Sussex at the moment (except sweet baby Archie!).

It’s also worth noting that, per The Sun, neither Will nor Harry (or, presumably, their wives) can claim the title of the Queen’s “favorite.” That title apparently belongs to Zara Tindall and her husband, ex-rugby player Mike Tindall. The Queen reportedly finds the couple, who has two daughters, to be pleasantly “normal” and non-pretentious. “The Queen has always adored Zara and is so proud of her riding success,” Seward revealed.

Naturally, it’s also possible the Queen appreciates the fact that Zara and Mike tend to stay out of the fray and remain feud-free. As Seward puts it, “She can be herself around them.”