Prince Harry has shared a moment when Meghan Markle’s attempt at humour during a significant royal event didn’t quite hit the mark—especially with Kate Middleton.
The relationship between the once-dubbed “Fab Four” has long been under scrutiny, and over time, the tension has become increasingly apparent.
Since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, Meghan and Harry’s move has been followed by media interviews, books, and documentaries—all of which have only highlighted the growing rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family.
Meghan’s Nerves and the Joke That Fell Flat
Meghan has previously admitted that she knew very little about royal traditions and formalities before becoming the Duchess of Sussex. So it’s understandable that at formal events like Trooping the Colour, her nerves may have surfaced in the form of humour.
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry recalled Meghan’s first appearance at Trooping the Colour in 2018, just a few weeks after their honeymoon. When Kate asked Meghan what she thought of the grand royal event, Meghan gave a light-hearted answer: “Colourful.”
Unfortunately, the joke didn’t seem to land.
Harry wrote about the moment in his book, noting there was “a yawning silence that threatened to swallow us all whole.”
A Public Debut Under Pressure
That day marked Meghan’s formal debut at the ceremonial parade, and Harry was visibly attentive toward his new wife. According to Hello! magazine, a lip reader reported that he quietly asked her, “OK?”—to which she replied, “Yeah, are you?”
The following year, the couple returned to the event, and they were also seen at Trooping the Colour in 2022 during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee—a few months before her passing.
Family Tensions and Recent Remarks
During a visit to the Army Air Corps in Wattisham, Suffolk, earlier this week, Prince William made a general comment about family life that some have interpreted as a subtle nod to his strained relationship with Harry. “Some of them might not want to see you that much. It’s a mixed bag sometimes,” he said.
Back in 2019, Prince Harry spoke more openly about his dynamic with his older brother in an ABC television interview. “Inevitably stuff happens. But we’re brothers, we’ll always be brothers,” he said.
He continued, “We’re on different paths at the moment, but I will always be there for him, and he’ll always be there for me. We don’t see each other as much as we used to, because we’re so busy.”
However, it appears that the tone of that relationship may have shifted further in more recent years.