Elizabeth Ii became part of a pre-wedding royal dispute after Meghan Markle wanted to borrow a diamond tiara for a hair appointment, a new book says. The episode unfolded in the run-up to Prince Harry’s wedding, with tensions rising as palace plans for the Sussexes’ ceremony moved forward. The account places the clash inside the wider strain surrounding the engagement period and the preparations for the Windsor wedding.
The request that set off the dispute
The book says Meghan’s wish to borrow a tiara from the Queen’s collection became one of several pressures building before the wedding. The monarch was said to enjoy offering a piece from her tiara collection to a royal bride when needed, but this occasion did not proceed smoothly. The disagreement later became known as “tiaragate, ” and it continued to draw attention long after the ceremony itself.
In the same account, the relationship between Meghan and the Duchess of Cambridge was already strained over the bridesmaids’ dresses, with both women reduced to tears. The pre-wedding atmosphere was described as unsettled, with more than one flashpoint emerging as the date approached. Elizabeth Ii was central to the moment because the tiara choice was tied directly to her own collection and to royal custom.
What the book says happened behind the scenes
The book says the Queen did not want the tiara request handled casually. Meghan wanted to borrow the diamond tiara for a hair appointment, and the response was described as terse. The account does not present the exchange as a public row, but as a private clash that exposed friction in the final stretch before the ceremony.
Elsewhere in the same narrative, Harry had first introduced Meghan to the Queen the previous year at Royal Lodge, where the pair were on their way to see Princess Eugenie. Meghan was given a quick lesson in curtseying by Sarah, Duchess of York, before meeting the Queen briefly. That 20-minute encounter was described as a success, with the Queen pleased Meghan was living and working in a Commonwealth country.
How the engagement period changed the mood
The engagement announcement on November 27, 2017, was presented as modern and carefully staged. The couple’s television interview emphasized a passion for change and an enthusiasm for the Commonwealth, and St George’s Chapel, Windsor, was booked for May 19, 2018. Even so, the book says there were already signs this would not be a repeat of the previous royal wedding.
Unlike the earlier engagement of William and Catherine, Harry and Meghan did not meet the royal press corps in the same way. The story describes a cooler media setup and a more tightly controlled atmosphere, reinforcing the sense that the lead-up was different from the start. Elizabeth Ii appears in the account as the figure around whom tradition, expectation and disruption all met.
What happens next
The book places “tiaragate” among the defining pre-wedding tensions that shaped public perceptions of the Sussexes’ marriage from the beginning. It also suggests that the episode will remain part of the wider story of Elizabeth Ii, because it reveals how even a seemingly small request could become a royal problem. As more retrospective material is published, the tiara dispute is likely to stay under scrutiny alongside the other pressures that surrounded the wedding.
