The British tabloids' treatment of Duchess Meghan, particularly versus that of her sister-in-law, Duchess Kate, was one of the most challenging aspects of Meghan and Prince Harry's time as senior royals, a role they stepped down from in the spring of 2020. During her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday, Meghan revealed that the "character assassination" she experienced at the hands of the press all started when rumors of a feud between her and Kate made headlines ahead of her wedding to Harry in May 2018. For the first time, Meghan opened up about the alleged incident that started it all, and it's not at all what you've read. Keep reading to find out what she said, and for more shocking discoveries from the two-hour CBS special, check out Prince Harry Revealed This Senior Royal Stopped Taking His Calls.
Rumor had it that future sisters-in-laws Meghan and Kate battled over the bridesmaids' outfits at Meghan's wedding. Kate allegedly felt the little girls should follow tradition and wear tights, while Meghan wanted them to go bare-legged, an incident that reportedly left Kate in tears. But Meghan told Oprah that, in fact, the opposite was true.
"A few days before the wedding, she was upset about something pertaining to ... flower girl dresses. And it made me cry, and it really hurt my feelings," Meghan said of Kate. She added that there was "no confrontation" and that Kate did apologize. "She brought me flowers and a note apologizing. She did what I would do if I knew that I hurt someone, to just take accountability for it," Meghan added.
"I would have never wanted that to come out about her ever, even though it had happened," she continued, calling her sister-in-law a "good person." "I protected that from ever being out in the world."
When Oprah pressed Meghan for further details about the long-rumored incident, the duchess said, "I don't think it's fair to her to get into the details of that, because she's apologized. And I've forgiven her. What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didn't do, but that happened to me. And the people who were part of our wedding going to our comms team and saying, 'I know this didn't happen.'"
Meghan said she was upset that the Palace didn't try to clear her name. "Everyone in the institution knew it wasn't true," she said, referring to those who work behind Palace walls. When Oprah asked why then had nobody spoken up to clarify the situation, Meghan replied, "That's a good question."
Later, she added, "They would go on the record and negate for the most ridiculous story for anyone," she said. "But the narrative about making Kate cry was the beginning of a real character assassination and they knew it wasn't true. If they're not going to kill things like that, then what are we going to do?" she asked. And for more telling moments from the CBS special, check out Meghan Compared Herself to This Disney Princess During Her Oprah Interview.
