Inside Meghan Markle ‘snub’ after swift exit from key event

Meghan Markle allegedly once left an event during a tour with Prince Harry due to a "snub" years earlier, a book has claimed. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex went on a high-profile tour to Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.

Meghan was still 12 weeks pregnant with Prince Archie during the tour, however, she made several appearances with Harry throughout their 16-day trip. But there was one particular instance which raised eyebrows during the Sussexes' visit to Fiji's capital, Suva. On day nine, the couple toured the country's capital and visited the University of South Pacific campus.

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Later in the day, Meghan headed to the market in Suva, where she was due to spend 20 minutes seeing the work of Markets for Change – a project run by UN Women

But the Duchess left after eight minutes, with Kensington Palace initially saying her swift exit was due to "uncomfortable conditions," later adding "crowd management issues" as a factor.

Royal biographer Robert Lacey claimed in a revised version of his book, Battle of Brothers, that it was due to the involvement of UN Women.

As per the Mail, he claimed that following an event three years earlier, the Duchess was assigned as an advocate on the company's roster and not an ambassador.

In 2015, the Duchess gave a powerful speech on gender equality for UN Women in New York.

The author wrote: "Meghan had rubbed shoulders with the likes of Hillary Clinton and might have hoped to join UN Women's distinguished roster of goodwill ambassadors that included celebrities such as Nicole Kidman and Emma Watson.

"But in those pre-Harry days, UN Women only assigned the cable actress the lesser role of advocate."

Mr Lacey suggested Meghan's short visit three years later was down to that "snub", with a Los Angeles screenwriter allegedly telling him: "Meghan does not cope well with what she perceives as rejection.

"She's nice and smiley as can be until you step in her way or don't give her what she hopes for. Then she can be remorseless – heaven help you!"

At the time of the visit, it was reported that Meghan's exit was due to the heat and humidity, with one onlooker saying the Duchess appeared to "look concerned" and while looking "really disengaged, not her usual self at all".

They told the Mirror: "She stopped to speak to a pineapple seller on one of the stalls and had a very blank and disengaged look on her face, which is very unlike her.

It was very hot and humid in there so perhaps it wasn't the best environment for a pregnant woman.

"After speaking for about a minute she broke off and spoke to the same aide again before she was whisked out of the market very soon after."

An aide said at the time: "It was hot, humid and uncomfortably busy and there were far larger crowds than expected."

Meghan's lawyers denied that she made a swift exit because of UN women and said she met with women from the organisation later in the tour.