Meghan Markle's Friendship With Designer Roland Mouret Suffered Over Dress Return Mix-Up

Designer Roland Mouret's friendship with Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, reportedly soured after a mishap involving the return of gifted dresses. According to Mouret's upcoming memoir, 'I Am Roland Mouret: The Butcher's Boy Who Dressed the World,' an assistant from his fashion house mistakenly contacted the Princess of Wales's office at Kensington Palace to arrange the return of dresses loaned to the Duchess.

Meghan allegedly became furious upon learning of the blunder, feeling it had humiliated her. She reportedly called Mouret directly, stating, "You don't realise what you've done! You've embarrassed me." Despite Mouret's apologies and explanation that it was an administrative error, the Duchess allegedly declared she could no longer wear his designs. "You know now I can never wear your clothes again," she is quoted as saying.

Mouret claims that Meghan later wore a "cheap high street copy" of one of his designs. He reached out to her, finding the situation "ridiculous" and encouraging her to return to wearing his creations. "I can understand if you don't wear my stuff, but if it's to wear a cheap copy then that's ridiculous. Come back," he texted.

Meghan and Mouret had developed a close friendship after meeting in Istanbul in 2015. Mouret recalls being one of the first people Meghan confided in after she began dating Prince Harry. He offered to provide her with clothing for her new life, and she accepted.

Meghan had previously spoken of her admiration for Mouret, wearing his dresses for red carpet events and posting complimentary messages on social media. She even referred to him as her "favourite designer." He was considered a potential candidate to design her wedding dress, though she ultimately chose Givenchy.

The memoir also touches on Mouret's long-standing relationship with the Princess of Wales, for whom he has designed dresses since 2011. He reflects on her public role, suggesting that if given the choice, she might prefer to avoid the spotlight. "Many want to be famous but if Kate could do everything she does, and be married to the man she is married to, without the fame, you suspect she would choose it," he writes.

The accounts in the memoir emerge as Meghan and Prince Harry have recently returned to the UK for a series of public engagements. During their recent appearance in Nottingham, the Duke of Sussex was seen placing a protective arm around his wife as they interacted with crowds. The King has referred to the couple as "private citizens" amidst discussions about their public role following their departure from royal duties.