Prince William and Meghan Markle's strained relationship reportedly began with a simple hug. A new book, Yes Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants by Tom Quinn, claims the future king was uncomfortable with Meghan's tactile nature, a cultural difference that not only caused personal discomfort but also fueled damaging rumors within palace circles.
In Spare, Prince Harry recalled introducing Meghan to William in 2016. "I introduced Meg, who leaned in and gave him a hug, which completely freaked him out. He recoiled," Harry wrote. "Willy didn't hug many strangers. Whereas Meghan hugged most strangers." At the time, Harry considered it a moment of cultural difference but later wondered if it had contributed to deeper divisions between the brothers.
According to Quinn, William "never got over" Meghan's affectionate demeanor. "This tactile manner made William uncomfortable because Meghan hugged him virtually every time they bumped into each other," he wrote. He added that staff members had also struggled with Meghan's warmth. "One of the things the royals found difficult about Meghan was that she was a bit too relaxed," Quinn said in an interview. "She was constantly hugging and embracing various royals and even senior members of staff."
Meghan's behavior reportedly clashed with the formality of royal life. "Kate, William, and Charles tended to flinch when she moved in for a hug," Quinn wrote, adding that one senior royal staffer reacted as if Meghan "had tried to poke him in the eye." This dynamic, according to insiders, played a significant role in Meghan's struggles within The Firm.
The book also claims that Meghan's touchy nature led to palace gossip, which further fueled tensions. "The hugging and cheek-kissing fueled gossip among the staff that Meghan was flirting with William, which she was obviously not," Quinn wrote. However, the perception of impropriety added to the tension between the brothers.
Meghan has addressed the cultural differences she encountered within the royal family. In Harry & Meghan, the couple's Netflix documentary, she reflected on the difficulty of adapting to the formality of royal life. "I was a hugger. I've always been a hugger. I didn't realize that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits," she said. "I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside."
Harry has also suggested that William was initially skeptical of his relationship with Meghan. "He'd actually been pretty discouraging about my even dating Meg," Harry wrote in Spare. "One day... he'd predicted a host of difficulties I could expect if I hooked up with an 'American actress,' a phrase he always managed to make sound like 'convicted felon.'"
William's concerns, the book suggests, were not unfounded. Meghan's integration into the royal family was met with resistance, and she was soon labeled "Duchess Difficult" by palace insiders. The nickname reflected what staff saw as her disruptive influence. "Meghan felt she was standing up for her husband, telling 'her truth' and encouraging him to tell his," Quinn wrote. "But this was seen as deeply disruptive."
Adding to the divide was a reported altercation between Meghan and Kate Middleton. In Spare, Harry recalled an incident in 2018 when Meghan referenced Kate's "baby brain," which led to a heated exchange. "You talked about my hormones. We're not close enough for you to talk about my hormones!" Harry quoted Kate as saying. William reportedly sided with his wife, telling Meghan, "It's rude, Meghan. It's not what's done here in Britain."
The tensions between Meghan and William contributed to the wider rift between Harry and his family. In the wake of Kate's recent cancer diagnosis, the Prince and Princess of Wales have displayed a more open and emotional approach to public life. A royal insider suggested this could open the door to reconciliation. "she and William have actually loosened up a lot, hugging people at appearances and even sharing intimate details about their struggles," the source said. "Eventually maybe they'll realize they have more in common with Meghan than they thought, and let bygones be bygones."
