Meghan Markle reportedly ended her friendship with French fashion designer Roland Mouret after an accidental staff mix-up involving borrowed clothing left the Duchess of Sussex feeling embarrassed.
In his memoir, I Am Roland Mouret: The Butcher’s Boy Who Dressed the World, the designer recalled how an unintentional mistake involving the office and stylist of Kate Middleton, then the Duchess of Cambridge, allegedly strained his relationship with Meghan. According to Mouret, Meghan was so upset by the incident that she told him she would never wear his designs again.
Mouret and the As Ever founder first met at a Soho House in Istanbul in 2015 and eventually became friends. When Meghan began dating Prince Harry in 2016, the designer offered to lend her a selection of outfits for upcoming public appearances.
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Meghan Markle 'Embarrassed' By Designer Friend After Mix-Up Involving Kate Middleton's Stylist
Anticipating that the former actress would need a larger wardrobe as her relationship with the royal family progressed, Mouret reportedly arranged for a special collection of clothing to be sent to the palace. He instructed his team to let Meghan keep the pieces for as long as she needed them without drawing attention to the arrangement.
“Leave them there as long as she wants them. Don’t follow up on it and do not talk about it to anyone at all, here or outside,” he recalled telling his team.
However, according to Mouret’s account, a member of his staff accidentally contacted Kate’s office and stylist at Kensington Palace rather than Meghan’s team, asking for the borrowed dresses to be returned.
The mix-up reportedly brought unwanted attention to the private clothing arrangement. Royal protocol around gifts and commercial benefits can be restrictive for working members of the royal family, making the situation particularly sensitive.
Mouret recalled that Meghan called him to express her anger over the incident, telling him, “You don’t realize what you’ve done! You’ve embarrassed me!”
Although he reportedly tried to calm her down, the mother of two allegedly stood her ground, insisting she would never wear his designs again.
Looking back on the fallout, Mouret emphasized that the decision was Meghan’s own.
“Meghan’s decision not to wear my clothes was hers, not the palace’s, not anybody else’s. I don’t think anyone else cared,” he said.
The story has since sparked debate online, with many commenters criticizing Meghan’s reported reaction to the mix-up.
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“They weren’t freebies, they were loaned to her and she threw a tantrum because they asked for them back. Ridiculous woman,” one person wrote.
Another commenter suggested the incident explained how the palace may have learned about the clothing arrangement, writing, “Makes sense now how the palace found out that Meghan was accepting free clothes. They were always strict that you have to pay for your clothes and no freebies. Harry tried to justify it of course.”
“Meghan was upset because she was accepting all of the freebies she wasn’t supposed to accept. And her secret got out,” another person claimed.
Others speculated about whether borrowing designer clothing could have affected the fit of Meghan’s outfits. “That's why her clothes are always ill fitted, she can't alter them because she had to give it back,” one commenter wrote, before criticizing the idea of a duchess accepting borrowed clothes.
Despite the initial tension described in Mouret’s memoir, the pair eventually reconciled. Meghan later wore his designs again, including at a Royal Foundation dinner in November 2018, and Mouret was also a guest at her wedding.
