Meghan Markle reveals what 'Will and Kate' were like behind closed doors during first meeting

Meghan Markle’s has hinted at what Prince William and Kate Middleton are like behind closed doors, as she recalled her 'barefoot' first meeting with them in private during her and Prince Harry's Netflix series. 

• The Duchess of Sussex opened up about meeting Prince William and Kate Middleton together in private, recalling what they are like behind closed doors as she greeted them "barefoot in ripped jeans". 
• Meghan expressed her belief in Netflix’s Harry & Meghan documentary that “formality carries over” for the Royal Family in private moments too.
• This royal news comes as we revealed the touching compliment Kate Middleton received from Prince Philip when she started dating Prince William.   

Over two years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “stepped back” as senior working royals and relocated to their beautiful Santa Barbara mansion, their love story and experience of royal life has been delved into like never before. Getting candid in their Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared enlightening insights and reflections. These included Prince Harry being terrified Meghan would be driven away by media attention when they started dating and Prince Harry and Meghan’s first date spot being revealed. 

But another focused on Meghan Markle’s "barefoot" dinner with the future King and Queen Consort, Prince William and Kate Middleton, with the Duchess sharing details of what the pair are like behind closed doors. 

Opening up in the second episode of the Netflix special, the Duchess spoke about meeting Kate Middleton for the “first time” in private and how she took a relaxed approach to hosting her and Prince William.

"Even when Will and Kate came over and I had met her for the first time… They came for dinner. I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot,” Meghan explained. 

The Duchess also hinted that embracing Kate and William made for a slightly awkward moment with the couple, adding, "I was a hugger, always been a hugger. I didn’t realize that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits."

The Duchess of Sussex then went on to reflect upon how this moment sparked a realization. According to her, Meghan Markle’s “barefoot” dinner with Prince William and Kate highlighted how the "formalities continue" for the Royal Family even away from the cameras and crowds. 

She continued, "I guess it started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside. That there is a forward-facing way of being. And then you close the door and you are like, [sighing] 'Oh, great, OK, we can relax now.' But that formality carries over on both sides."

"And that was surprising to me," Meghan reflected, considering how her initial expectations contrasted with her new perception of how "formal" things were behind closed doors. 

Prince Harry then shared an example of certain traditions within the Royal Family when he discussed how his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth was the first “senior member of the family that Meghan met”. 

Describing how they’d been in the car on the way to a lunch at the Royal Lodge, Meghan added that he’d asked her if she knew how to curtsy and that she’d “just thought it was a joke” before realizing he was serious. 

Prince Harry said, "How do you explain that you bow to your grandmother? And that you would need to curtsy, especially to an American. That’s weird."

However, despite the "formality" that Meghan felt was “surprising”, her relationship with the Queen was said to have been a warm one. She told Variety (opens in new tab) in October 2022 that Queen Elizabeth was a “shining example” of what female leadership looks like and expressed “great gratitude” that she got to “spend time with her and get to know her."