Prince Harry first sought the approval of Kate Middleton before going ahead with decision to marry Meghan Markle
Prince Harry may have received the official consent from the Queen before marrying Meghan Markle, but there was somebody else whom he talked to first before going ahead with his decision. It is reported that it was Kate Middleton whom Harry first asked about Meghan before plunging himself into the world of marital bliss. When Prince Harry started getting pretty serious about Meghan and started thinking about an actual future with her, he wanted to make sure that his sister-in-law was fully on board with his plan and wanted Meghan to meet the Duchess of Cambridge before things got more official, revealed royal expert Katie Nicholl in Grazia UK.
"Harry and Kate are very close, she’s been like a mentor to him and he wanted her seal of approval. Kate is different to Meghan in many ways, but she has made great strides to help Meghan settle in," a source told her.
From what we see of the happily married couple now, things must have gone really well in the first meeting itself, which reportedly took place in November 2016, about four months after they started dating, said Nicholl. When Meghan saw Harry again in January, she reportedly had a gift for Kate, a journal which she sent for the Duchess of Cambridge ahead of her 35th birthday.
For those who aren't aware of this fact, Prince Harry is extremely close to his sister-in-law, and at one time, it was reported that Harry saw Kate as the sister he never had after his mother, Princess Diana passed away in a mysterious car crash on the French Riviera. "When she and William got engaged, Harry called her the big sister he never had. He often pops into their apartment at Kensington Palace, where she cooks him a meal—roast chicken is reportedly a particular favorite."
"There was no filling the hole left by Diana’s death, and Harry seemed to be growing up without someone emotionally available he could lean on. Kate has helped fill some of that gap."
Once Harry and Meghan finally announced their engagement to the world last year, Kate was reportedly extremely excited, and she shared her joy over the news. "William and I are absolutely thrilled,” she said at the time. “It’s such exciting news. It’s a really happy time for any couple and we wish them all the best and hope they enjoy this happy moment.”
And ever since Meghan became the Duchess of Sussex, Kate has made sure that she touches base with the newly minted royal at least once in a week. "Kate has told Meghan she is always welcome at Apartment 1A, where the Cambridges live," Nicholl explains.
Kate and Meghan seem to have gotten along like a house on fire ever since the two met, and the spark in their relationship was visibly present when the duo recently made their first joint appearance as royals at this year's Wimbledon match. Kate Middleton and Meghan arrived at Wimbledon to support Serena Williams in her clash against Germany’s Angelique Kerber in their first ever public appearance without their husbands.
The royal sisters-in-law were seen waving and smiling as they descended upon Wimbledon center court just ahead of the Ladies' Final, and both of them looked elegant as they kept their appearance and clothing simple.
The two seemed rather excited about the match since this is the first time that they are out together to watch Meghan's close friend Serena Williams take to the green. They were seen greeting the former female tennis champions and had a little chat with the ball girls and boys as they spoke about their participation and it meant to play at the iconic tournament.
It was almost the same camaraderie between the two as was seen at Meghan's first ever royal engagement, when she attended the Royal Foundation’s inaugural Forum on Wednesday, February 28, along with fiancé Prince Harry, future brother-in-law Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Meghan, who wore a beautiful navy-blue dress created by Canadian designer Jason Wu for the event, was introduced to those present at the event by the Duke of Cambridge. In a touching tribute to his sister-to-be, he said, "We’re particularly happy that it’s our first Royal Foundation Forum with Meghan."
The event, which was held at the St Helen’s in central London, followed the theme 'Making A Difference Together,' which is exactly what the Royal 'Fab Four' was hoping to do. It brought the representatives of various charities such as Heads Together, United For Wildlife, We Are Invictus, We Are Coach Core and the Endeavour Fund under one roof. The Royal Foundation Forum is an annual event, which was set up as an umbrella foundation by the royal brothers in 2011 to pursue all their charitable interests. Later in the year, the Duchess of Cambridge also became a key member of the forum after her marriage to Prince William on April 29.