Navigating family disagreements is never easy—especially when they unfold under the scrutiny of the world. Tensions can feel even more intense when they involve close relatives, and outsiders often don’t grasp the full story.
The dynamic between Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton has long been a subject of public curiosity. Ever since both women joined the royal family, whispers of discord have followed them. Now, thanks to Prince Harry’s candid revelations in his memoir Spare, more pieces of the puzzle are falling into place.
According to Harry, one particular incident occurred in the lead-up to his 2018 wedding to Meghan. Hidden from the public eye was a disagreement between Meghan and Kate over the flower girl dresses—specifically, the fit of Princess Charlotte’s outfit.
Kate reportedly messaged Meghan expressing concern that Charlotte’s dress was too loose and ill-fitting, even saying the young princess “cried when she tried it on at home.” Meghan, aiming to deescalate the issue, reminded Kate that a tailor had been on standby at Kensington Palace since that morning to make any necessary adjustments.
“I told you the tailor has been here since 8 a.m.,” Meghan replied, according to the book. “Can you bring Charlotte so he can make the alterations? That’s what the other mothers are doing.”
But Kate didn’t budge. She insisted the dresses needed to be remade from scratch—a recommendation allegedly backed by her designer, Sarah Burton. The back-and-forth escalated, with Meghan under intense stress from ongoing issues involving her father, Thomas Markle, and the relentless media attention surrounding it.
Harry recalls Meghan asking Kate if she was aware of what was happening with her father. Although Kate acknowledged the situation, she stayed firm about her stance on the dresses, reportedly responding, “And the wedding is in four days!”
Meghan continued to encourage a solution through tailoring, saying: “If the dress doesn’t fit, please take Charlotte to see Ajay. He’s been waiting all day.” Kate ultimately responded with a brief “Fine,” and that was the end of the exchange.
The emotional toll of the disagreement wasn’t small. Harry recalls returning home to find Meghan crying on the floor—an image that stayed with him.
Interestingly, months later, the tabloids painted a very different picture: they claimed Meghan had made Kate cry. The truth, Harry writes, came out in a private meeting between the two couples. During that conversation, Kate allegedly admitted, “I know, Meghan, that I was the one who made you cry.”
However, no public correction followed. According to Harry, Kate appeared flustered, while William gave vague, noncommittal support. Suspicion arose around who had leaked the false narrative. Harry noted that William eventually conceded he may have mentioned the disagreement during a family dinner with King Charles and Queen Camilla.
“I put my hand over my face. Meg froze. A heavy silence fell,” Harry recalled. “So now we knew.”
The meeting ended abruptly, with no resolution and little acknowledgment of the harm caused.
Meghan revisited the issue during her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. Without going into detail, she said: “She apologized, and I’ve forgiven her. What was hard to get over was being blamed for something I didn’t do—but that actually happened to me.”