Kate Middleton had a tense chat with Meghan Markle (Image: Getty Images)

As outsiders marrying into the royal family, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle initially shared a common bond.

Both had led relatively carefree lives until they married into the royal family, suddenly having to navigate intense public scrutiny. However, despite their shared experiences, the pair never really connected due to their vastly different personalities and approaches to life, which often led to tensions.

In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry recounted several instances where his wife seemed at odds with his sister-in-law. He mentioned one particular disagreement over bridesmaid dresses leading up to his wedding that left Meghan in tears and noted how Kate “grimaced” when Meghan borrowed her lipgloss.

Following the Sussexes’ honeymoon, the two women, along with Harry and Prince William, decided to have a clear-the-air conversation. This tense meeting, which took place over tea, saw both couples airing their grievances.

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle aren’t close (Image: Getty Images)
Kate requested an apology from Meghan for her remark about Kate’s hormones and having “baby brain” during her pregnancy, gripping a leather sofa so tightly that her “fingers were white”, according to Spare. In the book, Harry described how Meghan issued an apology, clarifying that her way of speaking is normal among her friends.

The situation escalated, according to Harry, when William “pointed a finger at Meg” and reprimanded, “Well, it’s rude, Meghan. These things are not done here.” To which Meghan asserted, “If you don’t mind, keep your finger out of my face.”

Harry’s account in Spare followed a similar narrative to Meghan’s comments about Kate in the couple’s Netflix docuseries. Reflecting on their initial meeting, Meghan expressed she was “surprised” by the formality prevalent behind the scenes with royal family members.

In the second episode of the Harry & Meghan series, she disclosed, “When Will and Kate came over and I met her for the first time, they came over for dinner, I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot. I was a hugger. I’ve always been a hugger, I didn’t realize that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.”

She went on to convey her realization that there was no drop in formality behind closed doors. Meghan observed, “I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside. There is a forward-facing way of being, and then you close the door and go, ‘You can relax now’, but that formality carries over on both sides. And that was surprising to me.”

Since these revelations in Harry’s memoir and their Netflix documentary, the rift between Harry and his family has only widened. Reports suggest he hasn’t had an in-person interaction with his father King Charles for 14 months – despite their proximity just last weekend.

Harry, 40, landed in London last Sunday, while Charles, 76, was in the city for postponed cancer treatment before his official visit to Italy – however, they did not meet.