Meghan Markle’s ‘Jarring’ One-Word Description of Princess Kate Resurfaces as Sussexes Return to UK

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are back in Britain with Archie and Lilibet, but their return has once again placed the Sussexes’ complicated relationship with the Royal Family under scrutiny.

At the centre of renewed interest is Meghan’s past description of her first meeting with Princess Kate — a single word that captured just how differently the two women experienced royal life.

The comment was made years ago, but it has taken on fresh significance as Harry and Meghan establish their family life in the UK while King Charles makes clear that they remain outside the ranks of working royals.

Harry and Meghan’s changed position within the Royal Family

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior working royals in January 2020 and subsequently moved to California, saying they wanted to become financially independent.

Since then, their experiences within the monarchy have been discussed publicly through major interviews, their Netflix series and Harry’s memoir, Spare.

Now, six years after leaving Britain, the couple have made another major change by relocating back to the UK with their two children and establishing a home in a non-royal property outside London.

Their return, however, does not mean a return to official royal duties.

King Charles has reiterated that Harry and Meghan are no longer working members of the Royal Family and that any charitable work carried out by the couple is undertaken in a private capacity. Their HRH styles also remain suspended and are not to be used officially.

A spokesperson for the Sussexes said they were “surprised” that they had not been informed about the announcement beforehand. Palace sources subsequently disputed the suggestion that the couple had not received advance notice, saying they were sent the letter 67 minutes before it was made public, although they were not consulted on its contents.

The issue comes as Harry and Meghan continue their legal efforts to secure 24/7 taxpayer-funded police protection for themselves and their family.

Meghan’s striking description of Kate

The renewed attention on the Sussexes’ relationship with the Royal Family has also brought Meghan’s earlier comments about Princess Kate back into focus.

Harry and Meghan once appeared to have been particularly close to Prince William and Kate. The two couples were even described as the “Fab Four” during the early years of Meghan’s relationship with Harry.

Harry spoke warmly about Kate when he and Meghan first became engaged, recalling how William and Kate had been eager to meet her.

But Meghan later offered a very different account of her first encounter with the Princess of Wales.

In the Sussexes’ Netflix series, Meghan recalled meeting William and Kate for dinner while she was wearing ripped jeans and was barefoot. She described herself as someone who naturally greeted people with hugs and said she had not realised that this could feel “jarring” to many Britons.

For Meghan, the experience highlighted what she saw as a significant difference in British royal culture. She explained that the formality associated with public appearances appeared to continue even in private settings, something she said had surprised her.

That single description — “jarring” — has since become one of the most frequently revisited details from Meghan’s account of her relationship with Kate.

A contrast Harry also noticed

Harry offered his own perspective on the early meeting in Spare, pointing to the obvious contrast between how the two women were dressed.

According to Harry, Meghan arrived in ripped jeans and barefoot, while Kate was dressed much more formally.

At the time, Harry said he did not consider the difference particularly significant. But the contrasting styles became part of the broader picture of how differently Meghan and Kate approached their first interactions.

Royal editor and author Russell Myers has also written about the relationship between the two couples in William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story.

According to the book, Kate viewed Meghan as friendly but noticed a distinct difference between them, including what she described as a “touch of California” about the Suits actress.

A relationship that changed over time

The early warmth surrounding the so-called “Fab Four” eventually gave way to a much more complicated relationship.

Harry and Meghan’s decision to leave royal duties, their move to California and their subsequent public discussions about life inside the monarchy all contributed to growing tensions within the wider family.

Their latest return to Britain therefore presents an unusual situation.

The Sussexes are once again living in the UK, but they are doing so without returning to their former roles as working members of the Royal Family.

For Meghan and Kate, meanwhile, a brief moment from their first meeting continues to attract attention years later — particularly because of how dramatically the relationship between the two couples has changed since those early days.