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Meghan Markle recalls first double date with William and Kate: ‘I was a hugger’

"I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot."

The former Meghan Markle kept things casual for her first dinner with future brother-in-law and sister-in-law, the Prince and Princess of Wales.

“Even when Will and Kate came over, and I had met her for the first time, they came over for dinner, I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot,” Meghan recalled in the second episode of the new Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan.”

“Like, I was a hugger. I’ve always been a hugger, and I didn’t realize that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits,” she added.

Not directly referencing any specific people, Meghan reflected on the “formality” of the royal family.

“I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside,” she said.

She added that she thought royal family members would have “a forward-facing way of being” that would be relaxed behind closed doors, but did not find that to be the case. 

“That formality carries over on both sides,” she said, “and that was surprising to me.”

Harry, Meghan and the former Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, once nicknamed the “Fab Four,” appeared together at several royal events over the years.

Kate Middleton, Prince WIlliam, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry
The "Fab Four" attended a Christmas Day church service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on Dec. 25, 2017, in King's Lynn, England.Chris Jackson / Getty Images

Not long before Harry and Meghan’s wedding, they all attended the royal family’s traditional Christmas celebrations at Sandringham in December 2017. 

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined the former Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (now the Prince and Princess of Wales) on a panel in 2018.Chris Jackson / WPA Pool / Getty Images

They also appeared on a panel together at the Royal Foundation Forum in February 2018.

Since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as official members of the royal family, they have not appeared frequently in public with the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The couples did come together to greet mourners at Windsor Castle following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September.

Kate, the Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
The royal couples walked together at Windsor Castle on Sept. 10.Kirsty O'Connor / AP

In the same episode of their Netflix documentary, Prince Harry reflected on his family’s initial reaction to his then-girlfriend.

“I remember my family first meeting her and being incredibly impressed,” he said, adding with a laugh, “some of them didn’t quite know what to do with themselves because I think … they were surprised.

“Maybe surprised that a ginger could land such a beautiful woman, and such an intelligent woman,” he joked. 

Then, turning more serious, he continued, “the fact that I was dating an American actress was probably what clouded their judgment more than anything else at the beginning.”

“Harry & Meghan,” a six-part documentary series, explores the early days of the couple’s relationship and their much-publicized split from the royal family.

Archewell Productions, which the royal couple launched in 2020, was one of three production companies involved in the project.

At the beginning of the documentary, a statement reads, “Members of the Royal Family declined to comment on the content within this series.”

However, a senior royal source confirmed to NBC News that neither Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, nor any member of the Royal Family are aware of any such approach for comment on the content of the series.

NBC News has reached out to Netflix and production company Story Syndicate for comment.