The infamous bridesmaid dress controversy that clouded Meghan Markle’s 2018 royal wedding has taken yet another turn. Luxury tailor Ajay Mirpuri has broken his silence about what really transpired during those tense pre-wedding days at Windsor Castle.
“I’ve no idea what measurements Givenchy had received, but with our experience and knowledge we could see straight away that all six bridesmaids’ dresses had to be fixed, as they weren’t going to fit,” Mirpuri told the Daily Mail. This showed a whole new side to the argument that apparently had both duchesses ending up in tears. The situation reached a breaking point just four days before the wedding when Princess Kate Middleton texted Markle about her daughter Charlotte’s dress. According to Prince Harry’s memoir Spare , the message read: “Charlotte’s dress is too big, too long, too baggy. She cried when she tried it on at home.”
All 6 bridesmaids dresses were altered by random tailor Ajay Mirpuri over the last 4 days before the wedding. Every dress was hand made wrong by Givenchy, yet they didn’t help with the alterations. Why did Givenchy REFUSE to help Meghan? They wanted nothing more to do with her.
— Chew Wah Wah (@NachoBandito) June 13, 2024
What followed was a flurry of activity behind the scenes. Mirpuri and his small team of three put in long hours, sometimes working straight through till 4 in the morning, all to make sure the dresses were spot-on for the big day. “We had to work tooth and nail for four days,” the 46-year-old tailor revealed. According to him, the atmosphere was intense and the tension in the air was palpable. Even though Mirpuri was not present for the actual altercation between the duchesses, he was fully aware of the stressful circumstances. “Weddings are stressful at the best of times – and especially one at this high level; you’ve got to respect that,” he explained by giving a diplomatic view on things.
#MeghanMarkle admits: No, I didn’t make Kate cry over bridesmaids dresses. It was the other way around. But she apologized. She gave me flowers. I forgave her. I don’t say this to disparage her. I think she’d want the record corrected. #OprahMeghanHarry
— Kristen Meinzer (@kristenmeinzer) March 8, 2021
The incident took an emotional toll on both sides. Prince Harry later discovered Markle “sobbing” on the floor after the exchange with Middleton. In an attempt to make amends, Middleton arrived the following day bearing flowers and a card. However, the damage was apparently already done. Fashion expert Miranda Holder later suggested to Newsweek that the dress drama was merely a symptom of deeper issues . “I think that it’s a symptom of the underlying issue between the ‘fab four’… It’s like having a row with my husband over how he likes his coffee, but the real problem is something much bigger than that.”
The aftermath of this incident continues to reverberate through royal circles. These sisters-in-law’s formerly close relationship has now completely broken down. They are reportedly no longer speaking. Matters worsened after Markle’s Oprah interview in 2021 and the Netflix documentary in 2022. The damage appears irreversible, even though Mirpuri’s crew successfully completed their work. “Did anyone on the day complain about the bridesmaids’ dresses and how they looked? The answer is no,” Mirpuri proudly stated. This was the start of a growing gap that eventually led Harry and Markle to step away from their royal roles .