Prince William's explicit two-word reaction to huge announcement from Prince Harry
When the Duke of Sussex told his brother that he was dating Meghan Markle, the Prince of Wales had a very x-rated response to the shocking news
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle started dating in 2016, just two years before they got married, no one was more surprised than Harry’s older brother, Prince William.
While the Sussexes made their first public appearance as a couple in 2017 at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada, rumours had been swirling of their romance for several months prior. After just two dates, Meghan joined Harry in Botswana for an extended trip where their relationship blossomed.
But before Harry debuted his new girlfriend in front of the world, he introduced her to his closest friends and family, including all the senior members of the Firm.
According to Prince Harry ’s memoir Spare, he first introduced Meghan to his close circle of friends, and when their meeting went so well, he decided it was time for his future wife to meet his father, King Charles, as well as his brother and sister-in-law, William and Kate.
Before Meghan met the royal family in person, Harry broke the news of their relationship to William and Kate over an intimate family dinner at their London home. In his autobiography, Harry claims his brother "knew something was going on" and wanted to know more.
After young Prince George and Princess Charlotte were tucked up in bed, Harry took the plunge and shared the news, but not until Kate and William had promised to keep his secret.
He started by saying the new woman in his life was an American actress and then said she was an actress on the TV programme Suits. Harry wrote in Spare: "Their mouths fell open. They turned to each other. Then Willy turned to me and said: 'F*** off'."
Harry claims the royal couple then said it was impossible, leaving Harry baffled. Kate and William then revealed they were huge fans of Suits, so knew exactly who Meghan was.
Later in the book, Harry recalls their first meeting - admitting he was more nervous about that introduction than he was about the late Queen's.
He writes: "After a wait the door opened and there was my big brother, a bit dressed up. Nice trousers, nice shirt, open collar. I introduced Meg, who leaned in and gave him a hug, which completely freaked him out. He recoiled. Willy didn’t hug strangers, whereas Meg hugged most strangers. The moment was a classic collision of cultures, like a flashlight-torch, which felt both funny and charming."
Meghan also spoke candidly of the meeting in the 2022 Netflix docuseries titled Harry & Meghan, saying: "When Will and Kate came over and I met her for the first time they came over for dinner. I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot. I've always been a hugger, I didn't realise that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.
“I guess I started 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 go 'You can relax now' but that formality carries over on both sides. And that was surprising to me."