Home / Latest News / Prince Harry

Glossy Grudge: Meghan Markle's Last Minute Cosmetic Request Left Kate Middleton 'Grimacing' Amid a 'Clash' of Royal Styles

Meghan Markle 'crossed numerous lines' when she once asked Kate, then-Duchess of Cambridge if she could use her lip gloss.

meghan markle
Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton clashed over shared cosmetics in 2018. Source: MEGA

Kate, the then-Duchess of Cambridge's sneer at Meghan Markle at the 2018 Royal Foundation Summit, continues to fascinate both royal and Sussex fans six years later thanks to Prince Harry's book Spare.

kate middleton doesnt have energy play peacemaker

The summit was a chance for the four millennial royals, which also included Prince William, to lay out the causes for the initiatives they wished to champion in the coming years. The filmed discussion took place three months before Harry and Meghan's wedding.

The forum led to the quartet of thirtysomethings being labeled the "Fab Four" by the British press, which was to be short-lived. According to the Duke of Sussex's memoir, Kate and Meghan started having issues at that event, and it happened backstage.

"All this came on the heels of an awkward moment backstage. Meg asked to borrow Kate's lip gloss. An American thing. Meg forgot hers, worried she needed some, and turned to Kate for help," the prince wrote.

Describing the animosity that festered between the Duchess and Duchess-to-be, Harry added, "Kate, taken aback, went into her handbag and reluctantly pulled out a small tube. Meg squeezed some onto her finger and applied it to her lips. Kate grimaced. Small clash of styles, maybe? Something we should've been able to laugh about soon after. But it left a little mark. And then the press sensed something was up and tried to turn it into something bigger. Here we go, I thought sorrowfully."

kate middleton

The icy exchange continues to divide opinion in online communities. "I only ever share lip gloss with my absolute best friend of over 30 years. [The] cheek of her!" a TikToker wrote.

Another user added, "You can’t convince me that MeGain didn’t write parts of this book — lip gloss, ill-fitting dresses? Men don’t give a c--- about that stuff."

Some commenters were disgusted by the notion of sharing beauty or hygiene products. "Who the f--- asks someone to borrow their lip-gloss? No, it’s not an American thing; it’s Meghan’s thing. Gross!!" someone wrote.

This incident would be soon followed by the Princess Charlotte bridesmaid dress fiasco that left Meghan furious at Kate, which happened days before the future California residents married.

meghan markle

During the interview, the Duchess of Sussex reportedly got frustrated when the microphone was passed from William to Harry and then to Kate — seemingly avoiding her "at all costs."

While Kate talked about their shared passions, Meghan used the platform as an opportunity to discuss her feminism. "Harry with knife crime, William with homelessness, and for me with sort of addiction and things, I think just sort of coming together to try to find some sort of common ground and to be able to draw ideas together and find a way forward," Kate shared after being asked about their familial and professional dynamic.

kate middleton

Powered by RedCircle

Daily Mirror reported on the lip gloss controversy.

GET BREAKING ROYAL NEWS
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

More Stories

A UK barrister has a warning for the royals suggesting that the bedrock of British culture is under a strain that it may never truly recover. 
By Sakshi Singh · FEB 19, 2026
A new account suggests the two sisters-in-law competed fiercely for press attention and public approval.
By Abha Anindita · FEB 7, 2026
The Grammy-nominated artist discussed Harry and Meghan on a podcast, and shared what she thought about the estrangement.
By Abha Anindita · FEB 5, 2026
Meghan has already started to tease what appears to be a carefully thought-out Valentine's Day rollout tied to love, gifting, and slow mornings at home.
By Madhurima · JAN 28, 2026
Although Prince Harry's private security team identified her immediately, they found themselves in a legal stalemate.
By Sakshi Singh · JAN 26, 2026
Harry named 10 associates he was in regular contact with during the relevant period, including his brother, sister-in-law, and ex, Chelsy Davy.
By Medha Sengupta · JAN 22, 2026
The Duke of Sussex entered the Gothic Victorian court building around 10 AM.
By Abha Anindita · JAN 19, 2026
This time around, the palace appears unwilling to loosen its purse strings beyond what is necessary.
By Medha Sengupta · JAN 17, 2026
Insiders say the couple took on total risk with no investors involved.
By Abha Anindita · JAN 16, 2026
Sources say the silence was deliberate — but the Princess of Wales is choosing calm
By Abha Anindita · JAN 13, 2026