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When Meghan, Duchess of Sussex married Prince Harry in 2018, she wore the Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau tiara. However, this was reportedly not Meghan’s first choice, and there have been numerous stories about what went on during the wedding preparation.

It has been said that Queen Elizabeth denied Meghan the chance to wear her first choice tiara. However, a source now claims Meghan may have not understood royal protocol and simply “demanded” to wear the tiara she wanted.

Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

There have been different versions of Meghan Markle’s tiara story

In 2018, The Sun reported that Meghan and Queen Elizabeth clashed over Meghan’s tiara choice for her wedding. The former actress allegedly wanted to wear a piece from Her Majesty’s collection that had diamonds and emeralds. Yet, the queen did not feel it was appropriate, so she reportedly denied Meghan the chance to wear it.

However, the new tell-all book Finding Freedom by royal experts Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand is alleging something different. According to the authors, Queen Elizabeth actually was not involved at all. Instead, the conflict surrounding the tiara was simply about Her Majesty’s longtime dresser, Angela Kelly.

As reported by People, Harry “felt Kelly was dragging her feet in helping Meghan obtain access to her chosen tiara for a hair trial in advance of the big day.” Fortunately, things managed to progress without a hitch and Meghan was able to have a tiara for her hair trial.

A source now claims Meghan ‘demanded’ to wear the tiara of her choice

Based on the excerpts obtained from Finding Freedom, it does not seem like a reason was given for Kelly’s delay in helping the Sussexes. A source recently told the Mail on Sunday, as reported by Express.co.uk, that Kelly was just trying to follow protocol established by the royal family.

“The book’s version of what happened would not be everyone else’s recollection of events and certainly not those who were close to it,” the insider explained. “Angela essentially said, ‘I’m very sorry, that’s not how it works.’ There’s protocol in place over these jewels. They’re kept under very tight lock and key. You can’t turn up and demand to have the tiara just because your hairdresser happens to be in town.”

Some people believe it is unfair to paint Meghan out to be a ‘demanding’ person

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Ever since Meghan joined the royal family, there have been loads of reports about the duchess allegedly being “demanding” and insistent on getting her way.

For example, she has been described as “difficult” to work for and has a “diva” attitude. However, Scobie and Durand wrote in their book that these claims are stereotypes of Meghan’s background as a Hollywood actress and woman of color.

“This is a script that wrote itself as soon as you knew that an American actress was coming into the royal family,” the authors of Finding Freedom wrote, as shared by The Sunday Times. “Meghan felt as though some of the commentary and tabloid stories were more than a culture clash; they were sexist and prejudiced. If a man got up before dawn to work, he was applauded for his work ethic. If a woman did it, she was deemed difficult or ‘a bitch.’”

Scobie and Durand also added, “The double standard was exacerbated when it came to successful women of color, often labeled demanding or aggressive.”