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Harry reveals who really cried over bridesmaid dresses row between Meghan and Kate

Harry claims Kate demanded Meghan have Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress remade because it was ‘too big, too long, too baggy’.

Kate and Meghan's feud has been laid bare. Picture: Supplied
Kate and Meghan's feud has been laid bare. Picture: Supplied

The first person to cry over the now infamous row over bridesmaids’ dresses in the run-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding was not Meghan or her soon to be sister-in-law Kate but little Princess Charlotte, Prince Harry has revealed.

In his memoir ‘Spare’, which will be published in the following hours, Harry said the then three-year-old princess was “distraught” over the dress. In an email to Meghan, Kate told her Charlotte had “cried when she tried it on at home,” because it was “too big, too long, too baggy.”

Harry appears to have used private email correspondence between Kate and Meghan to provide details about the incident, which Meghan would later claim “was really, really difficult” and said it was “when everything changed”.

Prince Harry has finally detailed exactly what was sent between Kate and Meghan during their tense showdown, just four days before the wedding. Picture: Mock image
Prince Harry has finally detailed exactly what was sent between Kate and Meghan during their tense showdown, just four days before the wedding. Picture: Mock image

Harry wrote that Kate had emailed Meghan about the problem with the dress, but it took Meghan a day to respond and there was then a disagreement between the two women about whether the small frock needed to be altered or completely remade.

Harry wrote that the bridesmaid dresses were ‘French couture’, hand-sewn from measurements without a fitting.

“Meg didn’t reply to Kate straight away,’’wrote Harry.

“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.” Meghan told Kate the tailor Ajay was at the palace, but Harry insisted, “this wasn’t sufficient”.

When Kate was still concerned about the dress later that day, Harry says Meghan told her: “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?”

Kate replied: “No, all the dresses need to be remade.” And said she had discussed the issue with her own wedding designer who had agreed.

Harry writes: “Meg asked if Kate was aware of what was going on right now. With her father. Kate said she was well aware, but the dresses. And the wedding is in four days!”

“Yes, Kate, I know….”said Meghan.

He also wrote Kate had “problems with the way Meg was planning her wedding. Something about a party for the page boys? It went back and forth”.

Princess Charlotte (L) with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (2L) and Meghan Markle's friend, Canadian fashion stylist Jessica Mulroney (2L)and other bridesmaids. Picture: AFP.
Princess Charlotte (L) with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (2L) and Meghan Markle's friend, Canadian fashion stylist Jessica Mulroney (2L)and other bridesmaids. Picture: AFP.

Britons prefer cop drama over Harry moan-fest

Despite the revelations alyeady published in leaked extracts from Spare, British viewers voted with their remote controls over the series of interview he gave to publicise the memoir, tuning in to a crime drama in preference to hearing the fifth in line to the throne insist he didn’t make racist claims against his relatives.

The viewing figures for the heavily promoted Harry: The Interview on Britain’s ITV channel show an average of 4.10 million British viewers watched the interview on both television and streaming on Sunday night. But the BBC crime drama Happy Valley shown at the same time was more popular with 5.25 million viewers.

On the ITV show, in which Harry was interviewed by his long time friend, Tom Bradby, he trashed his family saying they were the reason he feared for his life and was forced to leave Britain for the United States. Curiously he insisted his earlier complaints on the 2021 Oprah Winfrey show about royal family members questioning the colour of his children’s skin colour wasn’t racist, but that of unconscious bias. He wasn’t questioned as to why he hadn’t issued such a clarification in the past two years, given the damaging impact on the monarchy, and the Queen’s statement that recollections may vary, in direct response to the Winfrey show.

In the United States, the prime time top rating show 60 Minutes was a sharper production and drew more than 10 million viewers to hear Harry reply “what difference would that make?”, when journalist Anderson Cooper questioned whether he should keep his Duke of Sussex title. In that interview Harry was harsher in his criticism of “wicked” stepmother, Queen Consort Camilla, saying she was dangerous because she forged a relationship with the British media to rehabilitate her image.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry during the annual Trooping The Colour ceremony at Buckingham Palace in 2015. Picture: UK Press via Getty Images.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry during the annual Trooping The Colour ceremony at Buckingham Palace in 2015. Picture: UK Press via Getty Images.

In yet a third interview, this time on Good Morning America, Harry hinted that he could return to royal service “if there is something in the future where we can continue to support the Commonwealth then that’s, of course, on the table.”

So far none of the interviewers, all hand picked, and all of whom had a copy of Spare before the book was leaked in Spain, have quizzed Harry about revealing the number of Taliban he had killed and the security implications of releasing such detail.

Instead on Good Morning America Harry said Buckingham Palace had refused to set the record straight over the bridesmaid dresses row.

A fourth interview will be aired with Stephen Colbert on the Late Show on CBS on Wednesday.

Meghan, Harry, William and Catherine watch a fly-past to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2018. Picture: Getty Images.
Meghan, Harry, William and Catherine watch a fly-past to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2018. Picture: Getty Images.
Read related topics:Harry And Meghan
Jacquelin Magnay
Jacquelin MagnayEurope Correspondent

Jacquelin Magnay is the Europe Correspondent for The Australian, based in London and covering all manner of big stories across political, business, Royals and security issues. She is a George Munster and Walkley Award winning journalist with senior media roles in Australian and British newspapers. Before joining The Australian in 2013 she was the UK Telegraph’s Olympics Editor.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/britons-switch-over-from-prince-harry-talkfest-to-police-tv-drama/news-story/48f0e4058887609b5ad7ed37e37c2ec7