Over the years, Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton have often found themselves at the centre of public discussion, with endless comparisons made between the two women by royal watchers and the media. While much has been written about their relationship, Prince Harry once recalled a brief but memorable exchange that he said created an unexpectedly awkward moment during Meghan's early days as a member of the royal family.As per People magazine, the incident was described by Harry in his 2023 memoir Spare, where he looked back at Meghan's first appearance at Trooping the Colour in 2018. The annual military parade, which celebrates the British monarch's official birthday, came just weeks after Harry and Meghan's royal wedding in May that year.Harry says the atmosphere was positive before the conversationAccording to Harry, the mood among family members during the event was relaxed and cheerful. Recalling the occasion, he wrote: "Everyone present was in a good mood, upbeat."However, a simple question from Kate Middleton led to a moment that Harry never forgot. "Kate asked Meg what she thought of her first Trooping the Colour," Harry wrote in Spare.Meghan responded with a light-hearted remark. "Colourful," she said, making what Harry described as a joke about the elaborate royal ceremony.The response, however, did not get the reaction she may have expected. "And a yawning silence threatened to swallow us all whole," Harry wrote, describing the uncomfortable pause that followed, as per Fox News.Harry did not provide any further explanation about why the joke failed to land or how the conversation moved forward after that moment.Meghan was still adjusting to royal lifeThe event marked one of Meghan's earliest appearances as a working member of the royal family. Having married Prince Harry only weeks earlier, she was still learning royal traditions and protocols.Reports at the time suggested Meghan was nervous about participating in such a high-profile royal event. According to a lip reader quoted by Mirror, Harry checked on his wife during the ceremony and asked if she was "Okay?"Meghan reportedly replied, "Yeah, are you?" before admitting she was feeling "nervous."The Duchess of Sussex also reportedly sought guidance from Harry on certain ceremonial moments, including when she should curtsy during the proceedings.Tensions within the family later became publicThe awkward Trooping the Colour exchange was one of several incidents Harry later discussed in Spare. He claimed that media coverage often fuelled comparisons between Meghan and Kate and created a sense of competition.Speaking to ITV journalist Tom Bradby in January 2023, Harry said: "Especially when within my family, you have the newspapers laid out pretty much in every single palace house that is around. So yes, it, it does, it creates this competition."He added: "And if you're the new kids on the block and you come in and you're stealing the limelight — not a limelight that you've asked to be put in or have a limelight — that the press, the British press have decided for you."Harry also revealed that later discussions involving himself, Meghan, Prince William and Kate attempted to address various grievances, including misunderstandings surrounding wedding arrangements and other personal issues. According to Harry, those conversations ultimately failed to resolve the tensions."None of this airing of grievances was doing any good," he wrote. "We weren't getting anywhere."Relations remain strained years laterRelations between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and the wider royal family have remained strained since the couple stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to California.Harry has publicly spoken about wanting reconciliation with his family, though he has also acknowledged that significant disagreements remain unresolved.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex last participated in Trooping the Colour in 2019. Since stepping away from royal duties, they have not been invited to take part in the event. Under King Charles III's reign, Buckingham Palace has limited the traditional balcony appearance to working members of the royal family, making the annual celebration a showcase for the monarchy's active senior royals.