What Really Happened Between Meghan And Kate Before The 2018 Wedding

The Royal Family has never been short on headlines, but few stories have sparked as much curiosity as the reported tension between Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton. Their relationship, often portrayed as distant or strained, continues to capture public attention, especially as past events are revisited in books, interviews, and insider claims.

One of the most talked-about incidents involves alleged drama over bridesmaid dresses in the days leading up to Meghan and Prince Harry’s 2018 wedding, a moment that keeps resurfacing in royal discussions. Prince Harry’s memoir Spare shed new light on what was supposedly going on behind the scenes.

According to Harry, the wedding preparations weren’t the fairy-tale experience many imagined. Instead, there were emotional moments, miscommunications, and rising pressure, particularly surrounding the custom-made “French couture” bridesmaid dresses worn by Princess Charlotte and the other young attendants.

Harry claimed that four days before the wedding, Kate sent Meghan a message insisting that the dresses needed to be redone entirely. At that time, Meghan was said to be overwhelmed with personal issues, particularly the unfolding situation involving her father, Thomas Markle, who was making headlines of his own and causing stress for the couple.

Harry wrote, “Meg didn’t reply to Kate straight away. Yes, she had endless wedding-related texts, but mostly she was dealing with the chaos surrounding her father. So the next morning she texted Kate that our tailor was standing by.”

He added that this response apparently wasn’t enough.

Meghan allegedly broke down after a dispute with Kate over remaking Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress instead of altering it.

Meghan reportedly suggested that Princess Charlotte be taken to the tailor, who was already positioned at Kensington Palace to handle alterations for all the girls. But according to Harry’s recounting, Kate wanted the dresses completely remade rather than adjusted, and she had even consulted designer Sarah Burton from Alexander McQueen for support.

It was during this exchange that Harry claimed Meghan became deeply upset. In the memoir, he wrote that he later found her “sobbing on the floor.” He added that the situation was eventually smoothed over, with Kate reportedly bringing flowers and a card to apologize the next day.

commons.wikimedia

What makes this moment particularly striking to royal watchers is how sharply it contrasts with earlier public statements. During Meghan and Harry’s 2017 engagement interview with the BBC, everything sounded warm and pleasant. Harry explained that he and Meghan had spent time with William and Kate on multiple occasions and that things had been going smoothly.

Meghan offered a very positive comment at the time, simply saying: “She’s been wonderful.” Harry echoed this sentiment: “Amazing, as has William as well, you know, fantastic support.”

Meghan and Kate’s dynamic reportedly shifted amid wedding dress tensions.

Back then, the narrative was one of harmony and promising beginnings. Meghan also spoke about her parents’ concern—not about Kate or the Royal Family specifically, but about how intense the media spotlight had suddenly become.

She said: “Well I'm sure at the onset, both my parents and my close friends were concerned, because we got very quickly swept up in a media storm… but they also had never seen me so happy.”

However, according to Harry’s later description, things shifted during the final wedding preparations. He claimed that Kate said Charlotte’s dress was “too big, too long, too baggy. She cried when she tried it on at home.” Meghan’s reply, as reported in the memoir, was practical:

“Right, and I told you the tailor has been standing by since 8am. Here. At KP. Can you take Charlotte to have it altered, as the other mums are doing?”commons.wikimedia

But the disagreement reportedly continued, with Kate insisting on full remakes. After emotional exchanges, Meghan was said to be left in tears. Harry claimed that despite the apology that followed, the incident left a lasting impression during an already stressful moment.

To this day, public interpretations of the situation vary. Some see it as a simple disagreement blown out of proportion under pressure.

Others view it as a defining moment that reflected deeper personality clashes and expectations between the two women, one a future queen, the other a newcomer stepping into royal life with intense scrutiny.

Regardless of where opinions fall, one thing is clear: the story has become part of the ongoing conversation about what really unfolded behind palace doors.

And as long as royal memoirs, interviews, and insider accounts continue surfacing, the question of what truly happened between Meghan and Kate is unlikely to fade anytime soon.