Meghan Markle Created an ‘Awkward Dynamic’ at Event With Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, and Prince William — Author
TL;DR:
- Meghan Markle’s Royal Foundation Forum appearance happened in 2018 alongside Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, and Prince William.
- Author Tina Brown said Meghan Markle created an “awkward dynamic” going off-topic and taking up much of the air time.
- As a result, Brown said the “Fab Four” never took part in an official charity engagement again.
Meghan Markle brought an “awkward dynamic” to an event with Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry, according to author Tina Brown. In Feb. 2018 the group dubbed the “Fab Four,” were together on stage for the first time. But, as Brown wrote in The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor—the Truth and the Turmoil, the Duchess of Sussex veered off-topic.
Meghan Markle’s Royal Foundation Forum appearance
On Feb. 28, 2018, Meghan and Harry joined Kate and William for a panel discussion. Per the British royal family’s website, they were there to talk about the foundation’s future and how it came to be.
The theme? Making a Difference Together. William gave a speech before the “Fab Four” came out on stage. Additionally, three Royal Foundation programs — Heads Together, United for Wildlife, and the Invictus Games — were highlighted.
The Royal Foundation Forum marked the foursome’s first official joint outing. It also served as the setting for a big announcement: Meghan would become the fourth patron alongside Harry, Kate, and William.
Royal author says Meghan Markle created an ‘awkward dynamic’ championing a ‘fashionable cause’
Brown reflected on Meghan’s Royal Foundation Forum appearance in The Palace Papers. Per Town & Country, she described how Meghan dominated the conversation. Not only did the Duchess of Sussex speak a lot during the panel discussion but Brown also noted how she went off-topic.
“With blithe proprietorship, she deployed an issue that was not even on the foundation’s docket—women’s empowerment, then at its fervid height with the acceleration of the #MeToo movement,” Brown wrote.
She continued: “‘Women don’t need to find a voice. They have a voice. They need to feel empowered to use it,’ Meghan quotably exhorted as Harry looked on with awe and his brother and Kate stood by with expressionless irritation.”
Brown explained that Meghan’s comment didn’t go over well with Kate. “When it was Kate’s moment to speak, she was strikingly less articulate, as well as brief,” Brown wrote.
Brown continued, saying Meghan “championing a fashionable cause anointed by Hollywood” was “sure to make headlines.” She concluded it made for an “awkward dynamic,” noting “it was later decided the Fab Four would not play onstage together as a band again.”
Prince William’s response hinted at behind-the-scenes tension
At the time of Meghan’s Royal Foundation Forum appearance, things were different. Harry and Meghan hadn’t yet had their royal wedding. Stories about Meghan making Kate cry hadn’t surfaced. And, most notably, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were still working royals.
However, as royal expert Katie Nicholl shared on the program, Funniest Royal Cock-ups, William’s reaction to a question suggested a family feud brewing. As she noted, the Duke of Cambridge replied with an “awkward” laugh” when asked whether they had “disagreements” working together.
