Meghan Markle detailed the “jarring” moment she first met Prince William’s wife Kate Middleton shortly after her relationship with Harry came to light.
In their new Netflix documentary “Harry & Meghan” which was released on Thursday, the Duchess of Sussex said she was “surprised” at how “formal” the Royal family continued to remain formal in a private setting, before taking a subtle swipe at the Princess of Wales.
Markle said she was unaware of the formality the royals go about their days with, and greeted the Prince and Princess of Wales barefoot and in ripped jeans.
“I was a hugger and have always been a hugger. I didn’t realize that that was really jarring for a lot of Brits,” Markle said, referencing her first meeting with Kate. “I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside, carried through on the inside.”
Markle said she didn’t expect the royals to behave behind closed doors the same way they do at public events.
“There is a forward-facing way of being, and then you close the door and you are like, ‘Oh, great. We can relax now.’ But that formality carries over on both sides. And that was surprising to me,” Markle. admitted.
“It’s so funny when I look back now because now I know so much,” she said, adding, that she’s “so glad I didn’t then because I could just authentically be myself without so much preparedness.”
Elsewhere in the episode, Markle claimed she had no idea she would have to curtsey in front of Queen Elizabeth II when they met.
“My grandmother was the first senior member of the royal family that Meghan met,” Prince Harry explained. “She [Markle] had no idea what it all consisted of. It was a bit of a shock to the system for her.”
“I mean, it’s surreal. I didn’t know I was going to meet her until moments before,” Markle recalled.
“We were in the car, and we were going to the royal lodge for lunch, and Harry said, ‘oh, my grandmother’s gonna be here!’ We were driving up and he said, ‘you know how to curtsey, right?’ And I just thought it was a joke.”
