<p id=”par-1_52″>Before <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/prince-harry/?swcfpc=1″>Prince Harry</a> and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/meghan-markle/?swcfpc=1″>Meghan Markle</a> tied the knot in 2018, she met the duke’s sibling, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/prince-william/?swcfpc=1″>Prince William</a>, and his wife, the Princess of Wales (<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/dont-be-fooled-this-is-what-kate-middleton-was-really-like-in-school.html/”>formerly known as Kate Middleton</a>). After the Sussexes stepped down the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/meghan-markle-getting-residual-checks-suits-surprise-streaming-success.html/”>former <em>Suits</em> star</a> spoke about that first meeting during the couple’s <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/4-claims-in-prince-harry-meghan-markles-netflix-docuseries-debunked.html/”>Netflix series <em>Harry & Meghan</em></a>.</p>
<p id=”par-2_98″>In the second episode of the docuseries, the duchess talked about meeting William and Kate for the first time and the princess not wanting to hug her saying: “I was a hugger, always been a hugger. I didn’t realize that is really jarring for a lot of Brits. 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.” </p>
<p id=”par-3_44″>In<em> </em><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/prince-harrys-memoir-spare-now-become-one-most-discarded-books-time.html/”>his memoir <em>Spare</em></a>, Harry also shared tidbits of Meghan’s first encounter with his brother and sister-in-law and claimed that the future king “recoiled” when the duchess went in for a hug. The duke explained: “Willy didn’t hug many strangers. Whereas Meg hugged most strangers.”</p>
<p id=”par-4_29″>Now, the author of a new book spoke to people who worked at the Palace when Meghan was there and said that her tactile mannerisms with William appeared “flirtatious.”</p>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Prince-William-and-Meghan-Markle-attend-an-Anzac-Day-Service-of-Commemoration-and-Thanksgiving-at-Westminster-Abbey-1.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Prince William and Meghan Markle attend an Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey” class=”wp-image-3773410″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Prince William and Meghan Markle attend an Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey | Chris Jackson/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-palace-staffers-thought-meghan-s-actions-were-her-way-of-trying-to-flirt-with-prince-william”>Palace staffers thought Meghan’s actions were her way of trying to ‘flirt’ with Prince William</h2>
<p id=”par-5_46″>In his new book<em> Yes Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants</em>, which was serialized by <a href=”https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/royal-family-william-kate-harry-meghan-courtiers-servants-zjvdkbkkd?tblci=GiCWa4MJF5VVwkigRAi226ygP74hQEu5OBmhdvrIH95S5yDi3kUoz5jksuaZloEiMLD0Uw” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Times</a>, royal biographer Tom Quinn relayed what Palace staffers told him about Meghan’s habit of hugging that did not go down so well with equerries in the royal household.</p>
<p id=”par-6_32″>According to Quinn’s book, “Meghan’s warm, friendly, hug-everyone approach” had the Palace rumor mill spinning and those who worked in the household making false claims that she was “flirting” with the prince.</p>
<p id=”par-7_53″>The publication noted: “Meghan hugged him virtually every time they bumped into each other. The hugging and cheek-kissing fuelled gossip among the staff that Meghan was flirting with William, which she was obviously not, but the tense atmosphere caused by all the touchy-feeliness (and the resultant gossip) deepened the rift between the brothers.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-duchess-was-said-to-be-hurt-after-her-habit-left-royals-flinching”>The duchess was said to be ‘hurt’ after her habit left royals ‘flinching’</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-2″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Now-King-Charles-Prince-William-Kate-Middleton-and-Meghan-Markle-arrive-to-attend-Christmas-Day-Church-service-1.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Now-King Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Meghan Markle arrive to attend Christmas Day Church service” class=”wp-image-3773439″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”> Now-King Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Meghan Markle arrive to attend Christmas Day Church service | Stephen Pond/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<div class=”related-articles”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<div class=”related-article”>
<img src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Meghan-Markle-waves-as-she-and-Prince-Harry-ride-in-a-horse-drawn-carriage-after-attending-the-2018-Trooping-the-Colour-1.webp” alt=”Royal Biographer Says Meghan Markle ‘Enjoyed Being a Princess’ Until the ‘Rot Set in and Began to Fester’”>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/royal-biographer-says-meghan-markle-enjoyed-being-a-princess-until-rot-set-in-and-began-to-fester.html/”>
Royal Biographer Says Meghan Markle ‘Enjoyed Being a Princess’ Until the ‘Rot Set in and Began to Fester’ </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class=”related-article”>
<img src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Prince-Harry-and-Meghan-Markle-attend-a-photocall-in-the-Sunken-Gardens-at-Kensington-Palace-following-the-announcement-of-their-engagement-1.jpg” alt=”Meghan Markle’s Expression Changes When Prince Harry Says She Can Be a Team Player With Prince William and Kate”>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/meghan-markles-expression-changes-prince-harry-says-team-player-prince-william-kate.html/”>
Meghan Markle’s Expression Changes When Prince Harry Says She Can Be a Team Player With Prince William and Kate </a>
</p>
</div>
</div>
<p id=”par-8_46″>Quinn said that it wasn’t just William and Kate, Meghan hugged other people in the household she came in contact with writing: “She even tried to hug a singularly stiff Old Etonian equerry. He too flinched as if she’d tried to poke him in the eye.”</p>
<p id=”par-9_30″>The author added that another royal was taken aback too when Meghan tried to embrace them saying: “[King] Charles tended to flinch when she moved in for a hug.” </p>
<p id=”par-10_14″>Quinn explained that “Meghan was understandably hurt, as everyone apparently hugs everyone in California.”</p>