Pal defends Kate Middleton after Meghan Markle’s claims of ‘formality’
Kate Middleton isn’t an ice queen.
A friend of the Princess of Wales has come forward to defend her after Meghan Markle claimed the royal was cold when they met.
“Kate’s a big hugger,” the friend told People on Wednesday. “She is warm and friendly and greets everyone with a big hug and kiss. It comes naturally to her to be like that.”
The “Suits” alum took a swipe at her sister-in-law in the Netflix documentary series, “Harry & Meghan,” where she revealed being “surprised” at how “formal” the royal family is behind closed doors.
Markle, 41, then recounted meeting Middleton and Prince William for the first time, while wearing ripped jeans and shoeless.
“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 Middleton, 40. “I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside.”
She added, “I guess I’d start to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside, carried through on the inside. There is a forward-facing way of being and then you close the door and you relax now. But that formality carries over on both sides. And that was surprising to me.”
The two royals have apparently had a fraught relationship for years.
The two had an argument in the days leading up to Markle’s 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, reportedly over whether the flower girls, which included Middleton’s daughter, Princess Charlotte, should wear tights.
Stories leaked out about the row claiming that Markle had reduced Middleton to tears although the Duchess of Sussex later claimed that “the reverse happened.”
In her infamous Oprah Winfrey interview, the former actress alleged that Middleton left her in tears.
“Everyone in the institution knew it wasn’t true,” Markle said, adding she wasn’t sure why no one from the royal family had denied the reports of a rift between the two women.
She didn’t go into any details about the tiff except to acknowledge it was over the dresses, saying, “There wasn’t a confrontation. I don’t think it’s fair to her to get into the details because she apologized, and I’ve forgiven her.”
The sisters-in-law showcased their frosty relationship during the Commonwealth Day Services in 2020 where Middleton pointedly refused to acknowledge the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Part two of the explosive Netflix docuseries drops on Dec. 15. An incendiary new trailer alleges that the royal family planted “negative” stories about Markle.