Zara Tindall And Meghan Markle's Supposed Falling Out, Explained

Meghan Markle used to be close with Zara Tindall, the late Queen Elizabeth II's second eldest grandchild. During the Duchess of Sussex's brief time in the higher ranks of the royal family, she and Zara, who also makes money on her own terms as a non-working royal, were reportedly once cordial acquaintances who often supported each other publicly. Zara and her husband, Mike Tindall, were among the many guests who attended Meghan's lavish May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. Further proving her dedication to supporting the happy couple, Zara attended the media spectacle when she was over eight months pregnant! Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the christening for Zara and Mike's daughter Lena, who was born in June.

According to Hello! magazine, the ceremony took place at St. Nicholas Church in Cherington, Gloucestershire, in March 2019. The Tindalls also bestowed Harry with the special title of Lena's godfather. Even sweeter, Meghan and Zara almost got to enjoy their pregnancies at the same time. The Duchess of Sussex gave birth to her oldest child, Archie, in May, and was therefore nearing her due date during the christening. Sadly, no photos emerged of the two women together. And, unfortunately, their relationship seems to have shifted downwards since.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's relationship with The Firm was frayed long before they sensationally stepped down as senior working royals and did their bombshell Oprah interview, during which the Duke and Duchess of Sussex opened up about the unfair racial prejudice Meghan suffered at the hands of select members of Harry's family and the British tabloids. While the couple's falling out with the Prince and Princess of Wales, including Harry's memoir claim that his brother, Prince William, physically fought him over a disagreement about Meghan, has been long known and discussed, the conditions of the Sussexes' relationship with Zara and Mike Tindall haven't been as widely covered. But it seems they've grown distant.

In fact, according to Express, Zara might have subtly attempted to downplay Meghan's claim in Netflix's docuseries "Harry & Meghan" that she wasn't allowed to wear vibrant colors due to royal protocol. "To my understanding, you can't ever wear the same color as Her Majesty if there's a group event," Meghan claimed. "But then you also should never be wearing the same color as one of the other more senior members of the family." Soon after, however, Zara seemingly coordinated with Kate Middleton and other members of the royal family to wear matching burgundy and black outfits, in a subtle maneuver seemingly designed to discredit Meghan. Although this could be a royal reach, it isn't the only reason to believe there's tension between the former acquaintances.

While Zara Tindall's true feelings about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry remain a mystery, her husband Mike Tindall's may be slightly clearer — at least if certain sources are to be believed. According to Express, Mike reportedly used a very choice word to describe the Duke of Sussex after the queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which took place in June 2022. Apparently, the former rugby star called Harry a "b*****d," although the insider didn't specify exactly what Mike was annoyed by. His coarse commentary was reportedly relayed to an unnamed attendee of the afterparty, which Harry and Meghan skipped alongside the main event itself. They were present at the thanksgiving service, where Meghan and Zara spoke though their husbands did not interact. It marked one of the first major outings for the beleaguered royals since departing their roles. 

However, according to the Daily Mail, it appears that the conversation was friendly and cordial in nature. The outlet consulted the expertise of Juliet Sullivan, a lip-reading expert, to break down the chat between the Sussexes and Zara. As Sullivan revealed, Harry struck up a conversation about what she was wearing. '"Love your outfit. I didn't know what colors you would wear blue, pink, orange," he reportedly remarked. Meghan also noted, "You look great." The trio was also photographed together, so if there was any lingering tension, they masked it very well.