The Queen And Meghan Markle's Egg Controversy, Explained

On the morning of Queen Elizabeth II's death, Prince Harry made the trip to Balmoral without his wife Meghan Markle, a move that has led to many people theorizing, according to The Daily Beast. In the last two years, a relationship that was once friendly reportedly turned tumultuous after the Duke and Duchess decided to leave the royal family for a "normal" life, per Yahoo! Lifestyle. Though many believed the Queen was mad, her statement in January 2020 was anything but. "I want to thank [Prince Harry and Meghan Markle] for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family. It is my whole family's hope that today's agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life."

Though tensions were widely debated, there's a chance the feud was exaggerated; even after Markle's departure from the royal family, she had nothing but nice things to say about the Queen. "The Queen, for example, has always been wonderful to me. I've loved being in her company," Markle said in a 2021 interview with Oprah (per Yahoo! Lifestyle). "She's always been warm, welcoming, and inviting." However, before any of the alleged drama occurred, Her Majesty had some words with Meghan Markle one day at Windsor Castle, and it wasn't about food she wasn't permitted to eat.

In an event that 1.9 million people tuned in to watch (via Economic Times), Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were officially wed on May 19, 2018. As is tradition, Queen Elizabeth II gave her formal blessing to the couple earlier in the year on March 15, per Town & Country. Though the wedding went off without a hitch, the Queen pulled Markle aside for a brief word in the days leading up to the event (via Cosmopolitan).

According to Royal expert and author Katie Nicholl, Markle had requested a macrobiotic alternative to the food served at her wedding reception. Macrobiotic diets rely heavily on brown rice, veggies, and beans while discouraging the consumption of eggs, per WebMD. During a taste test at Windsor Castle, the Duchess-to-be claimed she could taste egg in one of the dishes — one that she was assured was devoid of the ingredient. Convinced that eggs had somehow made their way into the dish she allegedly claimed, "No, I can taste it." That's when Queen Elizabeth entered the room and pulled her almost granddaughter-in-law aside for a private conversation, allegedly saying, "Meghan, in this family, we don't speak to people like that." Markle's reaction to the comment wasn't revealed, nor was the egg content of the macrobiotic dish, which means it's possible that the Duchess of Sussex is a supertaster.