Meghan Markle claimed she had an awkward first meeting with Kate Middleton back in 2017 (Image: Getty Images)Sign up to our free email to get all the latest royal news and picturesMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Sign up to our free email to get all the latest royal news and picturesInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeKate Middleton’s first meeting with her brother, James Middleton’s wife has shone a new light on Meghan Markle’s previous claims. In recent years, the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex have had somewhat of a strained relationship, notably in part with their husband’s fallout. Tensions ran high between members of the Royal Family when Prince Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals and uprooted their lives to California in 2020. They then had a revealing Oprah Winfrey interview before Harry released his explosive memoir Spare, along with their Netflix series that delved even further into their lives. Separate rifts between Kate and Meghan also emerged over the years with reports of fallouts over bridesmaid dresses and ‘baby brain’ comments. But way before any of this unfolded, Meghan claimed it was awkward when she met her sister-in-law back in 2017 and suggested that her casual style was something that was picked up on.
A rift has been noticeable between members of the Royal Family
(Image: GETTY)
In their Netflix series Harry & Meghan, the duchess recalled that when she first met Kate, she was “barefoot” and wearing ripped jeans. She also spoke about how she didn’t know the “formality” of the Royal Family and said she is a “hugger” but didn’t realise this was “jarring for some Brits”. Meghan said: “Even when Will and Kate came over and I was meeting her for the first time I remember I was in ripped jeans, I was barefoot. Like I was a hugger, I have always been a hugger I didn’t realise that is really jarring for a lot of Brits. I started to understand that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside, that there is a forward facing way of being and then you close the door and think “OK we can relax now. But that formality carries over on both sides and that was surprising to me.” However, a new memoir by Kate’s brother, James Middleton has suggested that this might not have been the case and in fact, the Princess of Wales is rather relaxed when it comes to meeting the sister-in-laws. In James’ memoir, he described the moment he candidly introduced his now wife, Alizee Thevenet to his sister Kate while in the kitchen at their Middleton family home.
James Middleton spoke about his sister, Kate, meeting his now wife Alizee Thevene in his new memoir
(Image: Getty Images for Apple)
The extract from the memoir has suggested that Kate may not have been against Meghan and her informal style after all
(Image: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Sign up to OK’s royal newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free According to James, Alizee appeared in the kitchen, having stayed at the family home for a wedding, only wearing his shirt as she met Kate, William and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. James recalled that there was “no awkwardness at all” and by the end of the weekend, Kate had approved of her brother’s new partner. “I’m about to take a cup up to Alizee when she appears at the kitchen door,” James wrote in his memoir. “She has just got out of bed, her hair still tousled, and she is wearing one of my shirts. In situations like this, Alizee is Âwonderfully French. She does not panic or rush upstairs to get dressed. Instead, she just greets everyone warmly as if it’s not remotely unusual to be meeting her boyfriend’s sister and brother-in-law for the first time wearing only an oversized man’s shirt.” He continues: “‘Hello,’ she says, proffering her hand and with no awkwardness at all we’re soon all chatting and the children are asking all kinds of cheeky questions at 100 miles per hour. Then we are all talking and laughing as if she has been part of the family for years.” James sweetly added that the next day, when they said goodbye, Kate gave him a “special squeeze” and whispered in his ear, “she’s just great.” The revealing encounter has suggested that Meghan’s claims against Kate’s “formality” and reaction to her casual style may not have been the cause of any issues. Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnJames MiddletonKate MiddletonMeghan MarkleRoyal Family
