Hugs and Kisses
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have shared that Prince William and his wife, Kate, found Meghan’s love for giving hugs a bit unsettling. A recent book by royal expert Tom Quinn backs this up, mentioning that the ex-actress’s way of being physical made William feel awkward.
In his book “Yes Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants”, Quinn noted that Meghan’s hugs and cheek kisses led to gossip among the staff, suggesting she had a crush on William. He explained that even though she clearly didn’t, the emotional encounters and all the chatter only widened the gap between the brothers.
Way Too Close
Apparently, she would hug William nearly every time they met. According to Quinn, Kate, William, and even Charles sometimes flinched when she went in for a hug. Meghan felt understandably upset about this since hugging is just a natural thing for her, coming from California.
In the Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan”, Meghan said she had no clue that the Royal Family had such strict traditions about formality, even in private. She described herself as a “hugger” and didn’t realize this might freak some folks out in Britain. She recalled meeting William and Kate for the first time in ripped jeans and barefoot, saying, “I’ve always liked hugging, but I didn’t get that it could be a bit off-putting for some people here.”
She continued, sharing that she figured there was a public front they show, but even behind closed doors, the formal vibe was very much present. In his memoir “Spare”, Harry also noted how awkward things felt when Meghan first met William and Kate, saying William kind of “pulled away” from Meghan during their first greeting, which he saw as a classic clash of cultures.
That first meeting happened back in late 2016 at Kensington Palace, right before the brothers were off on a shooting trip. Harry mentioned that Meghan had met other Royals, like Princess Eugenie and the Queen, before.
The Mill has Its Way
Going back to Quinn’s book, it points out how Meghan’s hugs and cheek kisses led staff to speculate that she might be flirting with William. They were seen together again in April 2018, looking friendly.
Harry opened up about how he was more anxious about Meghan meeting William than about anyone else. When William answered the door, Harry noticed he was all dressed up, and when he introduced Meghan, she went in for a hug that seemed to catch William off guard, making him recoil.
Harry explained that, usually, his brother doesn’t hug people he doesn’t know well, whereas Meghan saw it as her way to greet new faces. He joked that maybe William expected her to do a curtsey, a usual custom when meeting a Royal for the first time, but Meghan hadn’t been told about that, and Harry didn’t mention it.
In another part of the book, Harry shared that he had to remind Meghan to curtsey for the Queen during their first meeting back in 2016. Still, he thought she didn’t need to when meeting William since he was a fan of “Suits”.
The book also shows that during a meet-up on March 11, 2019, both couples shared some friendly exchanges at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. After chatting at the door, William welcomed them in, and their dog, Lupo, started barking.
When Meghan checked in about Kate, William said she was with their kids, George and Charlotte. Afterwards, Meghan returned to Nottingham Cottage for her first night alone while the brothers went hunting.
Since stepping back from royal duties and moving to the US, William and Harry haven’t talked much, and their rift seems to have grown deeper with Harry’s book release. Harry reportedly reached out to his brother after Kate had an unexpected cancer diagnosis last year.