Meghan Markle's 'jarring' habit that left royals 'flinching': 'Tension developed'

A royal expert has revealed Meghan Markle was left hurt after several members of the royal family "flinched" when she approached them for a hug. Apparently, her "touchy-feeliness" caused tension among the Duchess of Sussex and her in-laws after she married Prince Harry in 2018.

Harry and Meghan have both previously stated that Prince William and Kate Middleton found her hugs "jarring", but a royal author has revealed it went deeper, creating a "tense atmosphere". Tom Quinn, author of Yes Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, reveals in his book, "Tension developed between William and Harry as a result of Meghan’s warm, friendly, hug-everyone approach. Kate, William and Charles tended to flinch when she moved in for a hug.

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"Meghan was understandably hurt, as everyone apparently hugs everyone in California. Meghan even tried to hug a singularly stiff Old Etonian equerry. He too flinched as if she’d tried to poke him in the eye, as another member of staff put it."

Prince William 'recoiled' from Meghan Markle

In their Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, Meghan shared that she didn't realise that the royals' "formality" continued behind closed doors, adding that she's a "hugger" and didn't realise it was "jarring for some Brits".

"Even when Will and Kate came over and I was meeting her for the first time I remember I was in ripped jeans, I was barefoot," Meghan explained. "Like I was a hugger, I have always been a hugger. I didn't realise that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.

"I started to understand that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside, that there is a forward facing way of being and then you close the door and think, 'OK we can relax now'. But that formality carries over on both sides and that was surprising to me.'"

Harry added that William "recoiled" from Meghan's hug, saying, "It completely freaked him out."

"Willy didn't hug many strangers. Whereas Meg hugged most strangers. Will had hoped that she would greet him with standard reverence per the protocol," he added, saying, "[But] she didn't know it and I hadn't told her."

Prince Harry reveals he wasn't hugged as a child

Harry has also previously been open about the fact he had limited physical affection, including hugs, while growing up.

Interestingly, however, King Charles was recently asked by the New Zealand women's rugby team for a hug, and he obliged!

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"Yeah, we all wanted a hug," Ayesha Leti-I’iga told him, adding, "But only if it’s okay with you."

The monarch surprised everyone by saying, "A hug? Why not!"

After hugging the team, which he jokingly likened to being "flattened by a scrum", he thanked them for their "warm hug", which he said was "very healing".

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