Millie Mackintosh, a reality TV star and close friend of Meghan Markle, has claimed that her friendship with the Duchess of Sussex abruptly ended after the latter’s relationship with Prince Harry was made public. Mackintosh made these comments in a recent episode of her podcast Mumlemmas, where she claimed to have been “ghosted” by Markle once the latter began dating the Duke of Sussex. Mackintosh revealed that she became friends with Markle about eight years ago, when the two met at a hotel opening in Istanbul, Turkey. They initially bonded over their respective marital troubles, with Mackintosh married to British rapper Professor Green at the time, and Markle having split from her first husband, Trevor Engelson. The women stayed in touch through the years, with Mackintosh even giving Markle advice on what to do and where to go in London once Markle began visiting the UK. Their last meeting was during a girls’ weekend in September 2016 at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire, where Markle admitted to Mackintosh that she had been messaging Prince Harry at the time.
However, when news of Prince Harry and Markle’s relationship became public just one month later, Mackintosh decided to reach out to Markle amid the “intense” media scrutiny. But, according to Mackintosh, Markle’s response was “unlike any of our communication before” and seemed abrupt. Mackintosh did not disclose the content of Markle’s message but said that she felt the duchess had told her to “f*** off.” Mackintosh claimed that she never heard from Markle again after that.
The media attention surrounding Mackintosh’s short-lived friendship with Markle was, according to Mackintosh, “total bollocks,” with tabloids claiming that Mackintosh had introduced the couple and was planning their wedding. Looking back, Mackintosh said that the experience was hurtful and that she felt ghosted by Markle. But, she also recalled feeling happy for the couple on their wedding day, despite her lingering disappointment over Markle’s silence.
In the first episode of Harry & Meghan, a six-part Netflix docuseries, the couple detailed the early days of their relationship, before their romance became public. They kept their relationship secret from the public and detailed how they managed to do so. The two described their last night of freedom before details of their relationship broke, with the couple dressing up in Halloween costumes and going out with Prince Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, her then-boyfriend Jack Brooksbank, and Markle’s friend, Marcus.
Since stepping down from their role as senior members of the royal family in 2020, the couple has been living in California, where they are raising their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Last week, Prince Harry returned to the UK for the coronation of his father, King Charles III, and stepmother, Queen Camilla.
In conclusion, Millie Mackintosh has claimed that her friendship with Meghan Markle ended abruptly after the latter began dating Prince Harry. Mackintosh disclosed that she felt ghosted by Markle, although she never revealed what Markle’s message said. Despite having gone their separate ways, the couple is leading happy lives, with Markle focusing on her family, and Harry attending the coronation of his father, King Charles III.
