Meghan Markle’s awkward joke to Kate met with ‘yawning silence’ at Trooping the Colour

After Her Royal Highness Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, made her inaugural appearance at the prestigious Trooping the Colour ceremony, she attempted to engage in lighthearted banter with Her Royal Highness Princess Catherine. However, according to the account of His Royal Highness Prince Harry, the intended humor did not resonate as intended.

Trooping the Colour, also known as the King’s Birthday Parade, stands as one of the most significant events in the annual calendar of the Royal Family. This year’s ceremony will serve as a public demonstration of the House of Windsor’s resilience during one of the most challenging periods in recent decades.

Both Her Royal Highness Princess Catherine and His Majesty King Charles III are currently undergoing treatment for cancer. While the monarch’s medical team has granted clearance for his attendance, Kensington Palace has yet to confirm whether the Princess of Wales will be present at the event, as she prioritizes her recovery.

The Princess of Wales has maintained a low public profile to focus on her recuperation. Notably, two familiar figures who will be absent from the Buckingham Palace flypast are His Royal Highness Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle.

Despite being regular attendees prior to their relocation across the Atlantic, as non-working royals, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not attend the ceremonial day of pomp and pageantry.

During the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, however, the couple did attend, although they did not make an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony when the rest of the Royal Family watched the RAF flypast and waved to the crowds below.

In his bestselling memoir, Spare, Prince Harry revealed that when Meghan made her balcony debut after joining the Royal Family in 2018, an incident occurred behind closed doors that led to an awkward situation.

The incident took place a few weeks after Harry and Meghan’s star-studded wedding ceremony in Windsor. Once the royals had gone back inside Buckingham Palace after the flypast, Harry claimed that Meghan attempted to crack a joke with Catherine, the Princess of Wales, but it did not receive the expected reaction, resulting in a “yawning silence.”

At that year’s event, Meghan stunned in a baby pink dress and matching hat, standing proudly next to her new husband, who was dressed in his military uniform. While Meghan was seen chatting with Catherine, William, and Camilla, Harry claims that the atmosphere behind the scenes was far more tense.

The Duke of Sussex’s memoir, “Spare,” has shed light on the strained dynamics within the royal family, particularly the tensions between the Duchess of Sussex and the Prince and Princess of Wales. The book recounts an incident during the Trooping the Colour ceremony, where the Duchess of Sussex’s lighthearted remark was met with an uncomfortable silence, indicative of the underlying tensions.

Prince Harry alleges that the Prince and Princess of Wales exhibited stereotypical behavior towards his wife, creating a barrier and contributing to the awkward atmosphere. He further accuses his brother of describing Meghan as “difficult.” The Duke also delves into specific instances, such as a disagreement during a bridesmaid dress fitting and Kate’s reaction when Meghan requested to borrow lip gloss at an event.

Despite these revelations, the relationship between the two couples appears to remain strained, as evidenced by the lack of interaction during Prince Harry’s recent visit to the UK for the Invictus Games. However, in light of the Princess of Wales’s health challenges, it has been reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex privately reached out to offer support and publicly released a statement wishing her well and respecting her privacy during this time.

The memoir provides Prince Harry’s perspective on the familial rifts and highlights the complexities inherent in navigating relationships within the royal family. While the tensions are evident, the recent gestures of support suggest a potential for reconciliation, albeit in a private and discreet manner.