Prince Harry says Meghan Markle upset Kate Middleton with ‘baby brain’ comment
The former Meghan Markle offended Catherine, Princess of Wales, before the two women even became sisters-in-law, according to Prince Harry’s soon-to-be released memoir, “Spare.”
NBC News obtained a Spanish-language copy of the highly anticipated book, and in it, the Duke of Sussex recounts the incident that he says prompted Kate to demand an apology ahead of Harry and Meghan’s 2018 wedding.
In Prince Harry’s account of the matter, the former Kate Middleton had forgotten something insignificant in a pre-wedding conversation, which prompted Meghan to comment that she must have “baby brain,” according to the book.
Kate, who'd given birth to her and Prince William’s third child, Prince Louis, on April 23, 2018, just weeks before Harry and Meghan’s planned nuptials, was said to later reveal that she didn't appreciate the “baby brain” remark.
In June, following the royal wedding, Harry wrote that both couples sat down for a reconciliatory tea at Kensington Palace to discuss the topic.
“You talked about my hormones,” Kate allegedly said of the comment. “We are not close enough for you to talk about my hormones!”
The offense was evidently so great that Kate was allegedly gripping the upholstered side of her chair so intensely that her fingers went white, according to the book. Harry described his wife as looking perplexed about the reaction, as Meghan said the words simply reflected the way she would speak to her own friends.
But Kate wasn't the only one offended. Harry recalled the Prince of Wales also lashing out about the perceived slight, pointing a finger at Meghan and calling the remark "rude."
Harry noted the Duchess of Sussex responded by asking William to "take your finger out of my face."
Previous to this recent reveal from “Spare,” Meghan addressed another disagreement before the May 19, 2018 wedding when she denied claims published in British tabloids that she had made Kate cry over an argument about flower girl dresses.
"The reverse happened," the Duchess of Sussex told Oprah Winfrey during her interview alongside Prince Harry in 2021. "A few days before the wedding, (Kate) was upset about something — the issue was correct, about flower girl dresses — and it made me cry and it really hurt my feelings."
Meghan added that Kate “owned” what happened. "She brought me flowers and a note apologizing, and she did what I would do if I knew that I hurt someone, to just take accountability for it.”
Both Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace have declined to comment on the book. A representative for Prince Harry also declined to comment on the record.
Prince Harry's memoir, "Spare," hits bookstores Jan. 10.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com