A good impression. Prince Harry made sure Meghan Markle checked all the boxes when she met his father, King Charles III, for the first time.
Harry, 38, detailed the moment Meghan, 41, was introduced to Charles, 74, at Clarence House in his upcoming memoir, Spare, explaining how he helped his wife prepare in the fashion and beauty department. “Meg looked beautiful,” the Duke of Sussex wrote, sharing that the California native was all dolled up in a “full skirt, patterned with flowers.”
For her glam, Meghan wore her signature brunette tresses cascading over her shoulders, per Harry’s suggestion as “Pa likes it when women wear their hair down.” The BetterUp CIO noted that his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, also preferred the loose ‘do and often commented on “[Princess] Kate’s beautiful mane.”
Meghan wore “little” makeup because Charles “didn’t approve of women who wore a lot.”
Harry also prepped Meghan on proper greeting protocol. “Meg and I had rehearsed this moment several times. For Pa, curtsy. Say, ‘your royal highness’ or ‘sir,'” Harry wrote in his book. He advised the California native to give the king a kiss if he “leans in” and a handshake if he doesn’t. As for Charles’ wife, Queen Consort Camilla, Harry said a curtsy wasn’t “necessary,” which shocked Meghan.
“‘You sure?'” the U.K. native said Meghan asked. “I didn’t think it appropriate,” Harry wrote. After the initial hellos, The Sussexes enjoyed a pleasant evening with Charles and Camilla, 75, which included chatter about their love for dogs.
Harry added: “Meg talked about her two ‘fur babies,’ Bogart and Guy, both of whom were rescues.”
Meghan’s visit with Charles was vastly different from her impromptu first get-together with the queen.
Elsewhere in Spare, Harry revealed the Bench author was given a moment’s notice before meeting Her Majesty. The Invictus Games founder shared that he and Meghan were on their way to lunch at Royal Lodge when he was informed that his grandmother had popped by the estate for a visit on her way home from church.
After a quick curtsy lesson from Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie‘s mother, Sarah Ferguson, who resides on the property, Meghan introduced herself to the queen. While the exchange went well, Harry admitted that he wished they had dressed differently for the big moment.
“I could see Meg regretting her jeans and black sweater,” he wrote in his book. “I was also regretting my shabby trousers. We didn’t plan, I wanted to tell granny, but she was busy asking about Meg’s visit.”
Spare is set to be released on Tuesday, January 10.
