Prince Harry and Meghan Markle once faced a notable misunderstanding with Prince William and Kate Middleton over an Easter tradition, as detailed in Harry’s revealing memoir, Spare.
In the book, Prince Harry recalls how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge invited him and Meghan for tea at Nottingham Cottage in 2018. At the time, the gathering was intended to ease tension between the couples—especially between Meghan and Kate, who reportedly didn't start off on the best terms.
Harry describes the encounter, writing, “For about 10 minutes, we exchanged the usual small talk. How are the kids? How was the honeymoon?” But Meghan decided to address the awkwardness head-on, suggesting the rift may have started early in her royal life.
According to Harry, Meghan believed Kate may have misunderstood her intentions. “Kate assumed Meg wanted her fashion contacts—but Meg already had her own,” he explained. He added that the situation escalated around the time of their wedding, particularly involving “those dreaded bridesmaids’ dresses.”
The memoir also references the well-publicized tension between Meghan and Kate regarding Princess Charlotte’s dress for the wedding, a moment that became a hot topic in royal circles.
But Harry revealed another surprising source of friction: Easter gifts. He wrote, “It turned out there were other things upsetting them. Apparently, Willy and Kate were bothered we didn’t give them Easter presents.”
Harry expressed confusion, adding, “Easter gifts? Is that a thing? Willy and I never exchanged Easter presents growing up.” While their father, King Charles, often emphasized Easter's importance, Harry admitted he and William had never made gift-giving part of their own traditions.
Still, he said, “If Willy and Kate were upset, we apologized.”
Harry also recalled a minor wedding incident involving William and Kate switching place cards at the reception. He noted that the couple disliked the American tradition he and Meghan had adopted—seating couples together.
Despite these past grievances, the Duke of Sussex’s reflections shine a light on the complexities of royal relationships behind the palace doors.
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