Meghan Markle did not attend the Royal Family’s Trooping the Color ceremony this year but was there in 2018 – just weeks after her wedding to Prince Harry, and it was very awkward behind the scenes
16:08 ET, 31 Aug 2025Updated 16:09 ET, 31 Aug 2025
Meghan Markle made a joke about Trooping the Colour that didn’t go over well with sister-in-law Princess Kate, according to Prince Harry in his tell-all memoir (Image: Getty Images)
Meghan Markle’s first appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony after joining the Royal Family was reportedly a bit uncomfortable behind the scenes, as revealed by Prince Harry in his bestselling memoir.
The episode unfolded back in 2018, following the Trooping the Colour ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday, just weeks after Harry and Meghan’s glamorous wedding at Windsor Castle.
After the royals retreated inside Buckingham Palace once the military flypast concluded, Harry alleged that Meghan attempted to make a lighthearted comment to Princess Kate, but it failed to land as intended, resulting in an uncomfortable “yawning silence.”
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During that year’s celebration, Meghan looked radiant in a soft pink outfit with a coordinating hat, standing beside her newly wedded husband who wore his military dress uniform.
Although Meghan appeared to be engaging pleasantly with Kate, William, and Camilla, Harry maintains the atmosphere was much more strained away from public view.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 15: (L-R) Prince George of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales on the balcony during Trooping the Colour at Buckingham Palace on June 15, 2024 in London, England. Trooping the Colour is a ceremonial parade celebrating the official birthday of the British Monarch. The event features over 1,400 soldiers and officers, accompanied by 200 horses. More than 400 musicians from ten different bands and Corps of Drums march and perform in perfect harmony. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)(Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
In his memoir Spare, Harry recounts that after they went indoors, Kate inquired about Meghan’s thoughts on her inaugural Trooping the Color, to which she responded: “Colorful.”
Though Meghan’s response to Kate was merely a playful remark, it received a rather chilly reception, with Harry describing what transpired. Harry said: “A yawning silence threatened to swallow us all whole,” reports the Mirror UK.
The Prince utilized his memoir to present his perspective on the disputes and strains between Meghan and his relatives leading up to the nuptials, which probably added to the uncomfortable atmosphere at Trooping the Colour that year.
He claims Kate and William engaged in “stereotyping” his spouse, asserting their conduct erected obstacles. He further contends that his sibling characterized her as “difficult.”
The Duke additionally recounts a disagreement between Kate and Meghan during a bridesmaid gown fitting before the ceremony and mentioned Kate’s expression when Meghan requested to use her lip gloss at a function.
The relationship between the two pairs appears to remain strained, with William and Kate avoiding Harry during his recent UK trip where he celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Invictus Games.
Nevertheless, following the announcement of Kate’s cancer diagnosis, reports indicated that Harry and Meghan had quietly “contacted” William and Kate, and they additionally issued a public declaration supporting Kate while endorsing her requests for privacy during her cancer care.
The statement read: “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”