Roland Mouret's memoir says Meghan fell out with him over dresses returned via Kensington Palace
Designer Roland Mouret writes in a memoir that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, ended their friendship and vowed never to wear his clothes again after his team asked the Princess of Wales's stylist to arrange the return of dresses lent to Meghan. A spokesman for Meghan declined to comment.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2French designer Roland Mouret says in his memoir that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, fell out with him after a member of his staff mistakenly contacted the Princess of Wales's stylist at Kensington Palace to arrange the return of dresses lent to Meghan. Daily MailR “Roland Mouret wrote in a new memoir that Meghan erupted after one of his staff contacted Kensington Palace instead of the Duchess's team to arrange the items' return.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Evening StandardN “a member of his team mistakenly contacted Kate’s stylist instead of Meghan’s to arrange for the dresses to be sent back.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Mixed · 2Mouret writes that the same team member who had sent the clothes, "in an honest attempt to be efficient", called Kate's stylist at the palace after Meghan and Prince Harry's relationship became public, and that Meghan was "furious" and phoned him. Daily MailR “decided, in an honest attempt to be efficient, to call Kate's stylist at the palace and ask for Meghan's dresses to be returned.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Evening StandardN “Meghan was furious and called me.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Mixed · 2According to Mouret, Meghan told him, "You don't realise what you've done! You've embarrassed me", did not accept his apology that it was "just a mistake by someone who didn't know", and said, "You know now I can never wear your clothes again." Daily MailR “"You don't realise what you've done! You've embarrassed me".” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Evening StandardN “"Meghan, it was just a mistake by someone who didn't know. My apologies.” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Mixed · 2Mouret also writes that the following year he saw a photo of Meghan in a "cheap high street copy" of one of his designs and messaged that this was "ridiculous" and asked Meghan to "Come back"; the Daily Mail adds that Meghan replied, "I think I should come and see you." Evening StandardN “The following year, I saw a photo of her out in a cheap high street copy of one of my designs.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Daily MailR “She texted back: 'I think I should come and see you.'” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Right · 1The Daily Mail reports that Mouret does not say exactly when the row happened, only that it was after the relationship became public but before Megxit in 2020, and that the book does not appear to say whether the two remain on good terms. Daily MailR “Mouret does not say exactly when the row happened, only that it was after Meghan and Harry's 'relationship became public' but before Megxit in 2020.”“In his book, he does not appear to say whether he and Meghan remain on good terms.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Mixed · 2The two met in 2015 – the Daily Mail says in a hotel lift in Istanbul while on holiday – when Mouret, in a bathrobe, introduced himself, and Meghan later recalled the exchange in which he said "I'd love to dress you"; the Daily Mail says they became close friends and that Mouret offered clothes ahead of Meghan's royal life. Daily MailR “'This man in a bathrobe said, 'I'd love to dress you', I thought 'whaaat?' Then he told me who he was and we've been friends ever since,'” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Evening StandardN “The pair first met in 2015 during the opening of Soho House in Istanbul.” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Mixed · 2Meghan has been photographed in Mouret designs, including in an Instagram post earlier this year; the Evening Standard notes royal observers say this has continued in the years since the alleged incident, despite the feud described in the memoir. Evening StandardN “royal observers note that the Duchess has actually been photographed wearing Mouret designs in the years since the incident.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Daily MailR “The Duchess frequently wore Mouret's designs, including one of his dresses for an As Ever jam Instagram advert earlier this year.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Right · 1The Daily Mail says Mouret has designed for the Princess of Wales since 2011 and writes warmly of her, and that Mouret says Meghan's decision not to wear his clothes "was hers, not the palace's". Daily MailR “Mouret says of the Princess of Wales, who he has designed dresses for since 2011”“'Meghan's decision not to wear my clothes was hers, not the palace's, not anybody else's. I don't think anyone else cared.'” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Right · 1The memoir, I Am Roland Mouret: The Butcher's Boy Who Dressed the World, is due out next week and has been serialised in The Times; a spokesman for Meghan declined to comment, and all the account comes from Mouret's own telling. Daily MailR “In his memoir I Am Roland Mouret: The Butcher's Boy Who Dressed the World, due to be released next week”“A spokesman for the Duchess of Sussex declined to comment.” Read at Daily Mail ↗
Right · 1The Daily Mail places the story hours after Meghan and Harry's first joint public appearance since returning to live in the UK, at engagements in Nottingham, and notes critics call such visits a 'cynical' attempt to return to royal duties 'by stealth'. Daily MailR “The fashionista's claims came hours after Meghan and Harry made their first public appearance together since their extraordinary return to the UK.”“Critics have called the visits, organised by Team Sussex, a 'cynical' attempt to return to royal duties 'by stealth'.” Read at Daily Mail ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Short showbiz report presenting the row as a claim from Mouret's memoir, focused on the email/stylist mix-up and Meghan's reaction.
- Emphasis
- The mix-up, Meghan's quoted reaction, and a closing note that Meghan has been photographed in Mouret designs since.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the Daily Mail's detail on timing, Mouret's praise of Kate, Meghan's reply to his text, or the Nottingham visit; no response from Meghan's representatives.
- Charged language
- “furious”
- For example
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“it has been claimed.” — Evening Standard
“Despite the claims of feud detailed in the memoir, royal observers note that the Duchess has actually been photographed wearing Mouret designs” — Evening Standard
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Longer, more dramatic account built around Meghan feeling 'humiliated' and 'embarrassed' over 'freebies', tied to Meghan and Harry's UK return and criticism of it.
- Emphasis
- Meghan's anger, the 'cheap high street copy', Mouret's warm words on Kate, the freebie framing and the Nottingham visit with critics' 'by stealth' charge.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not include the Standard's note that royal observers say Meghan has kept being photographed in Mouret designs after the incident, beyond a mention of a recent Instagram advert.
- Charged language
- “freebies”“humiliated”“erupted”“extraordinary return”“by stealth”
- For example
-
“The Duchess of Sussex vowed never to wear a French designer friend's clothes again after his fashion house 'humiliated' her” — Daily Mail
“Critics have called the visits, organised by Team Sussex, a 'cynical' attempt to return to royal duties 'by stealth'.” — Daily Mail
What every side reports
- Mouret's memoir says a member of his team contacted the Princess of Wales's stylist at Kensington Palace to ask for Meghan's dresses back.
- Mouret says Meghan was furious, said he had embarrassed Meghan and that Meghan could never wear his clothes again.
- Mouret says Meghan later wore a 'cheap high street copy' of one of his designs.
- Meghan and Mouret met in 2015 and Meghan has worn his designs publicly, including earlier this year.
Where accounts differ
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Whether the row ended Meghan's wearing of Mouret designs
- Centre
- Notes Meghan has been photographed in Mouret designs in the years since, despite the claimed feud.
- Right
- Reports Meghan vowing never to wear his clothes again, but also notes Meghan wore his dress in an As Ever Instagram advert this year.
Roland Mouret person
Presents the row as an honest staff mistake made for efficiency, says he apologised, and says Meghan's decision to stop wearing his clothes was Meghan's own and he did not question it.
“'I didn't see the logic of that but I didn't question it.'” — Daily Mail
“in an honest attempt to be efficient” — Evening Standard
Meghan Markle person
Per Mouret's account, Meghan was embarrassed and furious at a private arrangement being exposed; a spokesman declined to comment. Meghan has earlier spoken warmly of Mouret as a friend and favourite designer.
“A spokesman for the Duchess of Sussex declined to comment.” — Daily Mail
“'Love your dresses to the moon and back, but love you even more #favouritedesigner.'” — Daily Mail
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
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Top designer reveals fall-out with 'furious' Duchess of Sussex over email mistake
Neutral Concise, attributed report of the memoir's claims, noting Meghan has been photographed in Mouret designs since.
Right1 article
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Critical Detailed, gossip-led retelling of the memoir that frames Meghan as angry over 'freebies' and links it to criticism of the Sussexes' UK return.
- 16 Oct 12:31 First Daily MailR Designer Roland Mouret reveals the awkward freebies mix-up that left Meghan 'embarrassed' and led to their falling out
- 17 Oct 13:10 +24h 39m Evening StandardN Top designer reveals fall-out with 'furious' Duchess of Sussex over email mistake
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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