In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry doesn’t hold back, offering a candid glimpse into the tensions within the Royal Family, particularly leading up to the 2018 wedding of himself and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. One of the noteworthy incidents involved a disagreement over the flower girl dresses between Meghan and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, better known as Kate Middleton.
Reported by Harper’s Bazaar, Harry’s memoir reveals that Kate contacted Meghan a few days before the wedding, expressing concerns about Princess Charlottes outfit. Kate mentioned, Charlotte’s dress is too big, too long, and too baggy. Further stating, She cried when she tried it on at home.
The dresses were made to pre-taken measurements, and Meghan tried to ease the situation by informing Kate there was a tailor, ready and available at Kensington Palace, to make any necessary adjustments. Meghan communicated, Right, and I told you the tailor has been standing by since 8 a.m. Here, at KP. Can you take Charlotte to have it altered, as the other mums are doing?
However, it seemed Kate remained concerned, allegedly suggesting that all the dresses be remade, backed by her wedding dress designer Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, who reportedly shared her worries.
Amid escalating tension, Meghan highlighted the stress from the ongoing media scrutiny around her father, Thomas Markle.
Prince Harry recalled Meghan asking if Kate was aware of what she was dealing with concerning her father. Although mindful of the situation, Kate stood firm about the dress issue, insisting, And the wedding is in four days!
Meghan sought resolution by responding, Im not sure what else to say. If the dress doesnt fit, then please take Charlotte to see Ajay. Hes been waiting all day. Eventually, Kate appeared to resign, replying with a succinct, Fine.
After the incident, reports claimed Meghan was deeply upset, with Prince Harry recalling finding her sobbing on the floor.
Some tabloids later presented a reversed scenario, suggesting Meghan caused Kate to cry from a dress disagreement.
An effort to address the matter resulted in a private meeting at Nottingham Cottage in December 2018 among Meghan, Harry, Kate, and Prince William.
Harry shares that during their conversation, Kate acknowledged the inaccuracies in the rumors by admitting, I know, Meghan, that I was the one who made you cry. Despite this acknowledgment, little was done to amend the public perception.
According to Harry, Kate seemed embarrassed, while Prince William offered what he describes as supportive-sounding evasions. This left the Sussexes wondering who might have leaked the false story.
After discussing it extensively, Harry remembers Prince William admitting he may have mentioned the disagreement during a meal with their father, King Charles III, and Queen Camilla while Harry and Meghan were on a tour in Australia.
Harry and Meghan were taken aback by this revelation.
I put my hand over my face. Meg froze. A heavy silence fell. So now we knew, Harry recounts, expressing his disappointment towards William with, You of all people shouldve known. The exchange reportedly concluded in silence, with William nodding in acknowledgment.
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Meghan publicly addressed the incident, denying the tabloid stories about making Kate cry. I dont think its fair to her to get into the details of [the fight], because she apologized. And Ive forgiven her, Meghan stated, although she expressed discomfort with the false blame.
Meghan also revealed that some people who attended the wedding had informed the communications team of the Sussexes that the tabloid story was inaccurate.
Sharing her feelings, Meghan said, What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didnt do, but that happened to me.
