In the lead-up to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2018 wedding, a tense moment unfolded involving Meghan and Queen Elizabeth II, according to royal expert Katie Nicholl. The incident, shared in Nicholl’s book The New Royals, took place while Meghan was tasting dishes for her wedding reception at Windsor Castle, where she became upset over one of the vegan options containing egg, insisting it should have been macrobiotic.
The disagreement caught the attention of the Queen, who reportedly entered the room and reprimanded Meghan, saying, “Meghan, in this family we don’t speak to people like that.” This was not the only instance where the Queen had to intervene during the wedding preparations, however.
In his 2020 book, royal biographer Robert Lacey recounted how the Queen also had to step in during a clash over Meghan’s wedding tiara. Meghan’s choice of tiara caused significant tension when it led to a disagreement between Harry and royal staff, resulting in Harry’s now-infamous outburst, “What Meghan wants, Meghan gets!”
The tiara dispute, dubbed Tiara-gate, became a royal drama of its own when Meghan’s preferred tiara was blocked by the Queen’s trusted dresser, Angela Kelly. The Queen, reportedly firm with Harry, told him, “Meghan cannot have whatever she wants,” adding, “She gets the tiara that she’s given by me.”
Despite the tension, Harry later clarified in his memoir Spare that he did not shout the infamous line, and explained that the Queen had even invited him and Meghan to Buckingham Palace to try on several tiaras from the Royal Collection.
