The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018, was a global spectacle, filled with grandeur, romance, and royal tradition. Held at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, the event captivated millions with its fairy-tale charm. However, behind the scenes, a heated disagreement over a seemingly minor detail—Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress—reportedly sparked a rift between Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales. According to a close confidante, this clash left both women in tears, marking a pivotal moment that strained their relationship as sisters-in-law.

A Royal Wedding Under Pressure

The lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding was a whirlwind of preparations. With 600 high-profile guests, including celebrities like Elton John, George Clooney, and David Beckham, the event was meticulously planned to reflect both the couple’s personal style and the expectations of a royal ceremony. Meghan, a former actress known for her poise, was navigating the intense scrutiny of joining the British royal family. Meanwhile, Kate, who had recently given birth to Prince Louis on April 23, 2018, was balancing her role as a mother of three with her duties as a senior royal.

The bridesmaid dresses, designed by Givenchy to complement Meghan’s elegant wedding gown, were meant to be a charming detail, worn by six young girls, including three-year-old Princess Charlotte, Kate’s daughter. However, what should have been a simple aspect of the wedding planning turned into a source of tension that would ripple through the royal family.

The Disagreement Unfolds

The conflict began just days before the wedding, when Kate raised concerns about the fit of Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress. According to a close family source, Kate reached out to Meghan, expressing that the dress was “too big, too long, and too baggy,” causing Charlotte to become upset during a fitting. With the wedding approaching rapidly, Kate felt the pressure of ensuring her daughter looked perfect for the high-profile event, watched by millions worldwide.

Meghan, already juggling a multitude of wedding-related tasks and personal challenges—including navigating media scrutiny and family drama involving her father—suggested that Charlotte’s dress could be adjusted by a tailor who was on standby at Kensington Palace. However, Kate reportedly insisted that not just Charlotte’s dress but all six bridesmaid dresses needed to be completely remade, a suggestion that Meghan found overwhelming given the tight timeline.

The exchange, conducted via text messages, grew increasingly tense. Both women, under significant stress, said things they later regretted. The source described the situation as a “perfect storm” of emotions, with Kate feeling protective of her daughter and emotionally vulnerable after her recent childbirth, and Meghan grappling with the immense pressure of her new role and the wedding’s looming deadline. The disagreement escalated to the point where both women were left in tears, a moment that highlighted the strain in their budding relationship.

A Tailor’s Race Against Time

The tailor tasked with addressing the dress issue, Ajay Mirpuri, later shared insights into the chaotic preparations. He and his team worked tirelessly for four days, making last-minute adjustments to all six bridesmaid dresses to ensure they fit perfectly. The pressure was immense, as any misstep could have resulted in a public embarrassment on the global stage. Mirpuri noted that while he didn’t witness the argument between Kate and Meghan, the stress of the situation was palpable, with everyone aware of the need to get the dresses right for the young bridesmaids.

Ultimately, the dresses were fixed in time for the wedding, and Princess Charlotte and the other bridesmaids looked impeccable as they walked down the aisle. The public saw no hint of the behind-the-scenes drama, but the emotional toll of the disagreement lingered for both Kate and Meghan.

Differing Perspectives and Public Scrutiny

In the aftermath of the wedding, rumors about the disagreement began to surface, with initial reports suggesting that Meghan had made Kate cry. This narrative painted Meghan as the instigator, adding to the media’s portrayal of her as an outsider struggling to fit into the royal family. However, Meghan later addressed these reports in her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, clarifying that “the reverse happened.” She explained that Kate had been the one to upset her, though she emphasized that Kate apologized afterward, sending flowers and a handwritten note to make amends. Meghan expressed forgiveness, noting that the incident occurred during a particularly challenging week and that she had no desire to fuel the public narrative against Kate.

Prince Harry, in his 2023 memoir Spare, provided further details, recounting how he found Meghan “sobbing on the floor” after the heated exchange with Kate. He described the incident as a misunderstanding driven by high emotions, insisting that Kate hadn’t intended to cause harm. Harry noted that Kate’s gesture of bringing flowers the next day was a sincere attempt to mend things, but the incident left a mark on Meghan, who felt overwhelmed by the pressures of royal life.

The close confidante who revealed details of the dispute emphasized that both women were deeply affected. “It wasn’t just one-sided,” they said. “Both Kate and Meghan were crying their eyes out. They both said things in the heat of the moment that they wished they could take back.” The source suggested that the media’s portrayal of the incident oversimplified the situation, framing it as a feud when it was more about two women navigating a high-stakes moment under intense pressure.

A Strained Sisterly Bond

The bridesmaid dress dispute was not an isolated incident but rather a reflection of the broader challenges Kate and Meghan faced as sisters-in-law. Both women entered the royal family as outsiders, with Kate having married Prince William in 2011 and Meghan joining in 2018. Yet their differing personalities and approaches to royal life made it difficult for them to form a close bond. Meghan, accustomed to a more informal and expressive demeanor from her American background, found the royal family’s formality surprising, as she later shared in her Netflix series Harry & Meghan. Kate, on the other hand, had spent years adapting to the structured expectations of royal life, which may have contributed to their differing perspectives.

The source noted that Meghan had hoped Kate would be a supportive figure, someone she could turn to as she navigated the complexities of royal duties. However, Kate’s focus on her own family and responsibilities left little room for the kind of bond Meghan sought. The dress dispute, while seemingly trivial, became a flashpoint that highlighted their differences and set the tone for their strained relationship.

Moving Forward

In the years since the wedding, Kate and Meghan’s interactions have been limited, particularly after Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as working royals in 2020 and relocated to California. Their last public appearance together was in September 2022, when they joined Prince William and Prince Harry to view tributes at Windsor Castle following Queen Elizabeth’s death. The joint appearance was seen as a show of unity during a time of grief, but it did little to dispel rumors of ongoing tension.

For Kate, the incident was a moment of vulnerability, driven by her desire to protect her daughter and manage her emotions as a new mother. For Meghan, it was a stark reminder of the challenges of integrating into a family with rigid traditions and intense public scrutiny. The close confidante reflected, “It was a moment where both women were under incredible pressure, and neither was fully prepared for how it would affect their relationship. They’ve both moved on, but it’s left a lasting impact.”

A Lesson in Royal Life

The bridesmaid dress dispute serves as a reminder that even in the polished world of royalty, human emotions and misunderstandings can create lasting ripples. For Kate and Meghan, the incident was more than a disagreement over a dress—it was a clash of perspectives, expectations, and the pressures of their unique roles. While the public saw a flawless wedding, the private struggles of that week in May 2018 revealed the complexities of their relationship, one that continues to fascinate and divide observers of the royal family.

As the years pass, the story of the bridesmaid dress remains a poignant chapter in the saga of Kate and Meghan’s relationship, a moment when two women, both navigating the weight of royal life, found themselves at odds in a way that neither could have anticipated.