Meghan Markle reportedly had an unexpectedly awkward first encounter with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor when she was introduced to members of the British royal family shortly after beginning her relationship with Prince Harry.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have recently returned to the United Kingdom with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, marking a significant moment after years of living primarily in the United States. Harry and Meghan relocated to America in 2020 after stepping back from their senior royal duties, and their relationship with other members of the royal family has remained complicated ever since.

However, the atmosphere was very different when Meghan first entered Harry’s world in 2016. At that time, their relationship was still new, and Meghan was gradually being introduced to Harry’s relatives and friends. According to Harry’s memoir, Spare, several members of the royal family appeared to take an immediate liking to his future wife.

King Charles and Queen Camilla, for example, were reportedly impressed by Meghan’s affection for dogs. Harry also recalled that Princess Eugenie welcomed Meghan warmly, with the two women quickly developing a close friendship. Their early relationship became particularly visible, with Meghan and Eugenie later appearing together in photographs and enjoying private occasions as friends.

Among all the relatives Meghan met during those early days, however, there was one person Harry remembered as being involved in a slightly unusual introduction: his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

The encounter took place when Harry decided to introduce Meghan to Sarah Ferguson at Royal Lodge, the former royal residence associated with the Duchess of York. The gathering included several familiar faces. Andrew was there, as were his daughter Princess Eugenie, her then-boyfriend Jack Brooksbank and a friend of Sarah Ferguson.

The meeting did not go exactly as Harry had anticipated because another important royal figure happened to be visiting at the same time. The late Queen Elizabeth II was present, meaning that Meghan unexpectedly found herself meeting the monarch much earlier in their relationship than might have been planned.

Harry described the atmosphere in Spare, recalling how the Queen spent some time with the group before announcing that she needed to leave. Andrew was sitting beside his mother and was helping her as she prepared to depart.

Princess Eugenie also accompanied the Queen towards the door. Before leaving, however, Elizabeth II stopped to say goodbye to the other people in the room. She acknowledged Jack and Sarah’s friend before noticing Meghan.

According to Harry’s account, the Queen gave Meghan a friendly wave and a warm smile. Meghan responded respectfully, greeting the monarch and performing a deep curtsy. The brief interaction was apparently well received by those present.

Once the Queen had left, the mood inside the room changed considerably. Harry recalled that everyone became more relaxed and returned to their usual behaviour. Princess Eugenie and Jack were apparently comfortable again, and the group began discussing the possibility of having some drinks together.

Meghan’s interaction with the Queen became one of the highlights of the gathering. Harry wrote that the people around her complimented her curtsy, with particular attention being paid to how formal and deep it had been.

But it was during the conversation that Harry discovered something he had not expected.

Meghan apparently did not recognise Andrew.

According to Harry’s memoir, Meghan asked him about the man she had seen beside the Queen. She apparently assumed that he was one of Elizabeth II’s assistants or members of staff because he had been carrying her handbag and accompanying her towards the door.

Harry explained that the man Meghan was referring to was not a royal aide. Instead, he was the Queen’s second son: Andrew.

The revelation apparently surprised Meghan, who had not realised that the man helping the Queen leave was actually a senior member of the royal family. The moment has since become one of the more memorable details from Harry’s account of Meghan’s earliest encounters with his relatives.

At the time, there was little reason to believe that Andrew’s position within the royal family would change so dramatically in the years that followed. Since then, however, his circumstances have altered significantly.

Andrew was stripped of his remaining honorary military affiliations and royal patronages following the controversy surrounding his association with Jeffrey Epstein and the allegations made against him. He subsequently stepped away from public royal duties, and his status within the monarchy became substantially reduced.

His living arrangements have also become a subject of considerable public interest. Andrew has faced pressure concerning his continued residence at Royal Lodge, while his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, has largely maintained a lower public profile in recent months.

The dramatic changes in Andrew’s position stand in stark contrast to the situation when Meghan first met him. At that time, he was still a prominent member of the royal family and regularly appeared at major royal occasions.

Harry and Meghan’s relationship with Andrew’s immediate family has nevertheless been somewhat different. The couple have long appeared to share a particularly close bond with Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank.

Eugenie was among the royal relatives who reportedly developed a warm relationship with Meghan early in her romance with Harry. Unlike some of Harry and Meghan’s other relationships within the royal family, their friendship with Eugenie has generally been viewed as more relaxed and personal.

The two couples have spent time together on various occasions, and Eugenie has remained one of the royal family members with whom Harry and Meghan appear to have maintained a connection.

That relationship could become relevant again now that Harry and Meghan are spending more time in Britain. Their return to the UK with Archie and Lilibet represents an opportunity for them to reconnect with people they remain close to, particularly members of the younger generation of the royal family.

There has also been speculation about the couple’s links to Portugal. Reports have suggested that Harry and Meghan have acquired or have access to a property there, a country where Eugenie and Jack are also believed to spend part of their time.

If those reports are accurate, Portugal could provide another opportunity for the two couples to see each other away from the intense attention that often accompanies royal gatherings in Britain.

For Meghan, her first encounters with Harry’s relatives in 2016 were clearly very different from the circumstances surrounding her life today. At the time, she was an actress who was only beginning to understand the complexities of the British monarchy. She was meeting people who would eventually become her extended family and learning the traditions associated with royal life.

Her unexpected encounter with Andrew illustrates just how unfamiliar that world initially was. While Meghan immediately understood the importance of showing respect to Queen Elizabeth II, she apparently did not recognise every member of the family surrounding her.

More than a decade later, that small moment has taken on an entirely different significance. The Queen has since passed away, Andrew’s position has changed dramatically, and Harry and Meghan have built a new life far from the institution they once represented.

Yet their friendship with Princess Eugenie appears to have endured. As Harry and Meghan continue to navigate their relationship with the royal family, their connection with Eugenie and Jack may provide one of the few remaining links to the family life they experienced during the early years of their relationship.

The story of Meghan’s first meeting with Andrew is therefore more than an amusing anecdote from Harry’s memoir. It offers a glimpse into how unfamiliar the royal environment was to Meghan at the beginning, while also highlighting just how dramatically circumstances within the royal family have changed since that first introduction.