A royal tantrum; but have we been misdirecting our anger towards Meghan Markle in the wake 'Tiaragate'?

Perhaps we should owe Meghan Markle a small apology, with an admission today that it wasn’t the “difficult” member of the Royal family who caused an issue in what is widely regarded as “Tiaragate.” Here's a brief recap on the salacious scenario, which did nothing to help Markle’s standing with the British public…

The wedding of Harry and Meghan in May 2018 brought up a number of rumours of the stubbornness of the couple having to adapt to royal protocol. One of the points of contention, widely reported in the press, was a tiara that Meghan was set to wear during the ceremony. So reports go, Markle was unhappy with the tiara “the establishment” suggested that she wear as she preferred to go with an emerald tiara but her choice from Queen Elizabeth II’s collection was rejected by Royal staff, prompting Harry to announce that “what Meghan wants, Meghan gets.”

Though initially Harry refuted such claims, the subsequent release of his bombshell memoir, Spare, shed more light on the situation regarding Tiaragate, with the prince admitting that there was an issue regarding the tiara situation and placed the blame solely on the Queen’s right-hand lady, Angela Kelly.

Kelly, fashion designer and the personal assistant and senior dresser to Queen Elizabeth II, was slammed in the memoir, with Harry recalling “She was being obstructive, obviously, but for what reason? We couldn't even hazard a guess. I considered going to granny, but that would probably mean sparking an all-out confrontation, and I wasn't quite sure with whom granny would side.” 

“To my mind," he continued, "Angela was a troublemaker, and I didn't need her as an enemy. Above all, she was still in possession of that tiara. She held all the cards." Eventually, Harry recounts, Kelly "appeared out of thin air" at Kensington Palace with the tiara, making Harry sign a "release" form. I thanked her," he said. "Though I added that it would've made our lives so much easier to have had it sooner." 

However that situation now runs counterpoint, as a new book by Veteran royal reporter Robert Jobson recounted the events surrounding Harry and Meghan's wedding, including reports of the prince's fractious temperament. According to Jobson's account in the book Our King: Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed, although everything appeared fine, William and Charles had noticed that Harry was always tense, and both the staff and family observed a change in his usually happy demeanour, as he became "petulant and short-tempered" with members of staff, suggesting that the stress was getting to the couple. 

The Queen and other senior aides also questioned why Meghan needed a veil since this was her second marriage, and there were reports of "temper tantrums" when she learned that she couldn't wear the tiara she had picked. “It was not Meghan who threw the tantrum, it was Harry" Jobson would go on to write. 

So perhaps we do owe Meghan Markle a small apology for the apparent Bridezilla status she received in the press - turns out it was more of a case of a Groomzilla on the roam.