Meghan Markle's first Trooping the Colour in 2018 included an awkward moment when her joke was met with silence from fellow royals, according to Prince Harry's memoir Spare.
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, attended the event just weeks after marrying Prince Harry. While she appeared happy waving to crowds from the carriage and on the Buckingham Palace balcony, a tense exchange occurred behind the scenes.
In his 2023 memoir, Harry wrote that after the balcony appearance, Princess Catherine asked Meghan what she thought of her first Trooping the Colour. Meghan replied, "Colourful," intending it as a light-hearted joke. However, the response was not well-received.
Harry described the reaction: "A yawning silence threatened to swallow us all whole." The joke reportedly fell flat, creating an awkward atmosphere.
Meghan attended Trooping the Colour twice, in 2018 and 2019. Since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, she and Harry have not participated. Their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have never been part of the celebration.
