Prince Harry went back to the first time Meghan Markle met Queen Elizabeth II and admitted that he regrets some of the circumstances surrounding their encounter. The Duke of Sussex revealed the details in his memoir Spare, which was published on January 10, 2023. The book became a major success and offered readers a personal look into the Duke’s life, including key moments in his relationship with Meghan before they married. According to Prince Harry, Meghan’s first meeting with the late Queen took place in October 2016 and was generally a positive experience.
In the memoir, the Duke of Sussex described the meeting as pleasant but said he felt uncomfortable because neither he nor Meghan had expected it to happen under those conditions. He recalled that Meghan arrived wearing jeans and a black sweater, while the Queen was dressed formally for church. Harry also noted that he was unhappy with his own appearance that day and wished he had prepared better for this important introduction. He shared that everything happened quickly, leaving little time to plan.
“Granny was dressed for church: a brightly colored dress and matching hat. I can’t recall the colour, I wish I could, but it was bright. Fancy. I could see Meg regretting her jeans and black sweater. I was also regretting my shabby trousers. We didn’t plan, I wanted to tell Granny, but she was busy asking about Meg’s visit.”
Prince Harry also shared a few memorable moments from the conversation. He said the Queen asked Meghan about her opinion on Donald Trump. According to him, Meghan reportedly avoided discussing politics and instead shifted the conversation toward Canada. The Duke further revealed that Meghan mistakenly thought Prince Andrew was one of the Queen’s assistants because he was carrying her handbag when he joined them. The Duchess of Sussex would go on to enjoy a solo outing with the late Queen back in June 2018, after marrying Prince Harry.
