Kate Middleton successfully navigated royal life while Meghan Markle struggled for this reason, author says
'The New Royals' author Katie Nicholl explains to Fox News Digital why the Princess of Wales was able to successfully navigate royal life. The Duchess of Sussex stepped back in 2020 with her husband, Prince Harry.
The royal tailor who was at the center of Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton’s alleged feud over bridesmaids' dresses has broken his silence.
Ajay Mirpuri spoke to the U.K.’s Daily Mail following the release of Prince Harry’s memoir "Spare," which was published Tuesday.
In the book, Harry recounted the infamous fallout between Middleton and Markle, both 41, which allegedly left the former American actress Markle "sobbing on the floor." The tense exchange reportedly took place days before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tied the knot in 2018.
Mirpuri told the outlet that while he didn’t witness any disagreements between the women, he and his team worked quickly before the wedding to refit all six dresses for the young bridesmaids, including the flower girl dress for Middleton’s daughter, Princess Charlotte.
Prince Harry opened up about the fallout that occurred between Meghan Markle, left, and Kate Middleton leading up to his wedding day in "Spare." (Getty Images)
"If anything happened in the background, it didn’t happen in front of me," Mirpuri explained. "But yes, weddings are stressful at the best of times — and especially one at this high level; you’ve got to respect that. They were faced with a problem like anyone gets at a wedding, with last-minute hitches. I can understand why anybody would be upset if the dresses weren’t fitting — it’s nerve-wracking."
"I feel for them all because you wouldn’t want the children to go out on a big stage in an ill-fitting dress — and that’s what they were," the luxury tailor continued. "All six bridesmaids’ dresses had to be fixed, and we did it."
Mirpuri, who runs tailoring workshops in London and Switzerland, said he and his team agreed "straight away that all six bridesmaids’ dresses had to be fixed, as they weren’t going to fit."
"We had to work tooth and nail for four days, four of us working until 4 a.m. three nights in a row, to make them fit," he said. "We left Windsor Castle at 10 p.m. the night before the wedding. Did anyone on the day complain about the bridesmaids’ dresses and how they looked? The answer is no."
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Princess Charlotte, left, and her mother, the Princess of Wales, leave the wedding ceremony of Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and American actress Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, on May 19, 2018. (BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
In an excerpt, Harry claimed that his sister-in-law made the former "Suits" star cry after she demanded that "all the dresses" for the girls be remade.
"Charlotte’s dress is too big, too long, too baggy," Middleton allegedly texted Markle, as quoted by Harper’s Bazaar. According to Harry, the dresses were made from measurements obtained at a previous fitting.
"She cried when she tried it on at home," Middleton allegedly texted.
According to Harry, Markle reminded Middleton that a tailor who could perform alterations was already at Kensington Palace.
PRINCE HARRY'S 'SPARE' FALLOUT: MEGHAN MARKLE IS A GREAT ACTRESS, SAYS ROYAL INSIDER
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand together for their wedding in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, on May 19, 2018. (DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
"Right, and I told you the tailor has been standing by since 8am," Markle allegedly replied. "Here. At KP. Can you take Charlotte to have it altered, as the other mums are doing?"
The book alleged that Middleton demanded that "all the dresses be remade," noting that her own wedding dress designer agreed with her. Markle then reminded Middleton that she was stressed following the drama involving her father Thomas Markle. The former Hollywood lighting director famously didn't attend the royal wedding.
"Kate said she was well aware, but the dresses. And the wedding is in four days!" claimed the book. It also alleged that Middleton had "problems with the way Meg was planning her wedding… it went back and forth." Harry wrote that when he came home, his wife-to-be was "sobbing."
British outlets reported that it was Markle who made Middleton cry. In "Spare," Harry suggested that his father’s press office likely leaked the story to tabloids. The Duchess of Sussex spoke about the incident during a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
PRINCE HARRY'S 'SPARE' SINKS ROYAL'S POPULARITY; EXPERT SAYS 'TIMING IS GHASTLY'
Oprah Winfrey interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for a special in 2021 where they revealed their struggles with royal life. (Harpo Productions/Joe Pugliese via Getty Images)
"I don't think it's fair to her to get into the details of [the fight], because she apologized," said Markle at the time. "And I've forgiven her. What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didn't do, but that happened to me. And the people who were part of our wedding going to our comms team and saying, 'I know this didn't happen.'"
In the ghostwritten memoir, the Duke of Sussex detailed his grief following the death of his mother, Princess Diana, as well as his strained relationship with Prince William. He also expressed his frustration at the role of royal "spare" in the shadow of his older brother, who is heir to the British throne.
Harry slammed the U.K.’s tabloid press for coverage he considered prurient, intrusive and sometimes plain wrong. The 38-year-old claimed his relatives were unwelcoming to his wife and even accused members of the royal family, including his stepmother Camilla, of leaking stories to the media to burnish their own reputations.
Buckingham Palace officials have declined to comment on any of the allegations made in Harry's book. A spokesperson for King Charles III didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. A spokesperson for Kensington Palace, which represents the Prince and Princess of Wales, told Fox News Digital it doesn’t have a comment. Allies of the royal family have pushed back on Harry’s claims, largely anonymously.
Prince Harry's book ‘Spare’ goes on display in a branch of WH Smith opposite Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, on Tuesday. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Harry’s exposure of bitter divides inside the House of Windsor — alongside details of his mental health struggles, experiences with sex and drugs and decadeslong military career — has generated reams of media coverage. The father of two has embarked on a press tour to promote the book, making appearances on ITV, CBS' "60 Minutes," ABC's "Good Morning America" and, most recently, CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." He is also on the cover of People magazine.
"Spare" is the latest in a string of public pronouncements by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since they quit royal life in 2020. At the time, they cited what they saw as the media’s racist treatment of the duchess and a lack of support from the palace.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reside in Montecito, California, with their two children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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