Meghan who? The 'dear friends' of the Duchess who claim they 'don't really know' her - despite her gushing about their bond

Meghan Markle is known for her adjacent friendships successful nan Hollywood circle - pinch everyone from Kris Jenner to Chrissy Teigen praising nan Duchess of Sussex's American Orchard Riviera jams these past weeks. 

But A-lister pals nan 42-year-old mother-of-two has gushed astir aren't ever truthful vocal successful their affections back. In fact, immoderate person astatine times visibly downplayed their enslaved pinch nan erstwhile Suits star.

Most recently, Justin Trudeau's ex woman Sophie - who Meghan had dubbed a 'dear friend' - appeared to move acold h2o complete nan relationship.

Speaking to The Times, nan former First Lady of Canada said: 'I cognize her... but we haven't spent overmuch clip together.'

This is successful stark opposition to what nan Duchess has said successful nan past astir nan relationship, suggesting nan 2 were very close, and describing Sophie arsenic being 'emblematic of strength'.

It's not nan first clip location appeared to beryllium a disconnect betwixt nan royal and her connections.

George and Amal Clooney reportedly quipped that they 'don't know' nan Sussexes while attending their royal wedding, whereas Fergie - mother of Prince Harry's cousins Beatrice and Eugenie - claimed she 'hasn't really met' her.

Here, FEMAIL looks astatine times Meghan's celebrated friends appeared to create region erstwhile talking astir nan Duchess... 

SOPHIE TRUDEAU 

This week, Sophie Trudeau, 49, told The Times that she 'knows' Meghan, but claimed nan brace haven't 'spent overmuch clip together'.

But according to nan Duchess, speaking during an section of her Archetypes podcast successful November 2022, Sophie 'used to nonstop her small meditations during her pregnancy' and sound notes 'of encouragement', adding: 'I've gone to her complete nan years for advice.'

And she besides revealed that nan 2 had spent a time together astatine nan Montecito mansion she shares pinch Prince Harry, 39.

Meghan described nan time arsenic being 1 afloat of laughter and fun, pinch their children playing successful nan swimming excavation connected pizza-shaped floats while they drank vino 'on nan terrace' and were 'giddy for illustration absolute schoolgirls'.

According to nan curriculum vitae Finding Freedom, Meghan and Sophie became friends successful 2016, aft nan erstwhile Suits character met Justin in 2015, astatine nan One Young World acme successful Ottawa that year.

That year, some women were pictured posing cheek-to-cheek successful a Soho House photobooth successful Canada.

According to Finding Freedom authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand: 'Sophie had fixed up a profession successful television, wherever she had been moving arsenic a analogous connected CTV's eTalk, to return connected a much general domiciled alongside her hubby arsenic he deed nan run trail.

'The brace became accelerated email friends, Meghan was willing to perceive really Sophie had successfully made nan move from an intermezo news analogous to much-loved First Lady, each while skillfully dodging controversy.'

In November 2022, Meghan invited Sophie connected to her Spotify podcast Archetypes, to speak connected an episode titled Good Wife/Bad Wife, Good Mom/Bad Mom.

During nan episode, the pair spoke astir nan challenges of parenting and being a partner to 2 celebrated men, and Meghan revealed she threw a excavation statement that summertime for Sophie, successful which nan 2 'giggled for illustration schoolgirls' and drank vino connected nan terrace of her Montecito mansion. 

Meghan introduced Sophie arsenic a 'humanitarian mother' she met successful Toronto, wherever she was surviving while filming Suits, astatine nan city's manner week 7 years ago.

She said: 'Sophie has go a beloved friend and personification who I deliberation is truthful emblematic of spot that comes from embracing your humanity, moreover successful nan look of each these family and location and nationalist pressures, keeping that consciousness of aforesaid while holding up nan mantle of what comes pinch being a genitor and a spouse, that's a afloat plate. 

Meghan went connected to picture a time that she spent astatine her Montecito mansion pinch Sophie. She said: 'This wasn't our time of being nan wives and moms, each perfectly quaffed pinch up-dos and pearls and demure smiles.

'This was nan different type of america some pinch chaotic curly hairsbreadth and swimsuits and loose linen and immense belly laughs. Big cuddles pinch our small ones, quiet whispers of woman talk connected nan terrace, giddy for illustration absolute schoolgirls. We were conscionable having truthful overmuch fun.'

Speaking during her caller question and reply pinch nan Times, aft discussing Meghan,   
Sophie past turned nan speech complete to Meghan's sister-in-law Kate Middleton, revealing that her 'heart conscionable sunk' erstwhile she heard astir nan Princess's cancer test past month. 

It is unclear why Sophie played down her relationship pinch Meghan, though it has been speculated that it could beryllium linked to nan breakdown of Meghan's relationship pinch erstwhile champion friend Jessica Mulroney - who has also previously acted arsenic a stylist for nan erstwhile Canadian First Lady. 

SARAH FERGUSON 

Last year, Sarah Ferguson appeared to region herself from Meghan in an interview, saying she 'hasn't really met' her - aft nan Sussexes claimed it was Fergie who 'taught her to curtsey' to the Queen.

The Duchess of York, 64, the mother of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, told The Telegraph she 'doesn't really know' Meghan'.

However nan declare comes successful nonstop contradiction of nan Sussexes, who person some claimed Fergie has been 1 of nan friendlier members of nan royal family - moreover recalling having drinks pinch Sarah astatine her location successful The Royal Lodge. 

In some nan explosive Oprah Winfrey question and reply and Harry's book Spare, nan Sussexes said it was Sarah who taught Meghan really to curtsey up of her first gathering pinch nan precocious Queen.

Elsewhere, Fergie said she did speak to Meghan astatine nan Queen's ceremonial successful September, adding: 'She looked perfectly beautiful. I deliberation she is beautiful.’ 

In nan Oprah interview, which was broadcast successful early 2021, nan Duchess of Sussex  said Fergie was nan personification who taught her to curtsey.

She claimed erstwhile she went to meet nan Queen for nan first clip astatine The Royal Lodge successful Windsor, she 'didn't moreover cognize really to curtsey' and was shocked erstwhile Harry explained it was expected of her. 

Meghan said: 'I went into it naively because I didn't turn up knowing overmuch astir nan royal family. I didn't afloat understand what nan occupation was.'

She said that was nan infinitesimal 'the penny dropped' that her cognition astir nan Firm was 'very different' to nan reality, and she had to study really to execute nan royal civilization 'very quickly'.

She said: 'I didn't cognize I was going to meet her until moments before. We were successful nan car and we were going to nan Royal Lodge for lunch, and he [Harry] was like, "Oh, my grandma is here, she's gonna beryllium location aft church.". 

'Right successful beforehand of nan location we practiced and ran in. Fergie ran retired and said, "Do you cognize really to curtsy?",' she recalled.

'Apparently I did a very heavy curtsy, I don't retrieve it, and past we sat location and we chatted.

Meanwhile Harry besides recounted a akin communicative successful his book Spare, penning that he had really hoped Fergie would beryllium nan first personnel of nan family Meghan would meet arsenic his girlfriend.

He wrote it was October 2016, explaining: 'First stop, Royal Lodge. To meet Fergie, because Meg already knew Fergie's girl Euge, and Jack, truthful this seemed a logical babe step.'

He added: 'Fergie came outside, somewhat aflutter, and said: "Do you cognize really to curtsy?" Meg shook her head. Fergie demonstrated once. Meg imitated her. 

'As we walked towards nan doorway Fergie and I some leaned into Meg, whispering speedy reminders. When you first meet nan Queen it’s Your Majesty. Thereafter it’s conscionable Ma'am. Rhymes pinch ham. Just, immoderate you do, don't talk complete her, we some said, talking complete each other.' 

After Meghan met nan Queen, Harry writes that they stayed astatine Royal Lodge for drinks. 

It is chartless connected what different occasions nan 2 women mightiness person crossed paths - pinch Meghan only serving arsenic a moving personnel of nan royal family for a fewer years earlier moving to nan US. 

Fergie was invited to Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding successful 2018, while it's apt nan Duchess' besides crossed paths astatine Eugenie's wedding that October.

The 2 besides some attended nan Queen's ceremonial successful September, and Fergie recalled speaking to Meghan astatine nan event. 

Despite nan 2 appearing to disagree connected really overmuch they person travel into contact, Sarah has been complimentary of Meghan connected aggregate occasions. 

In nan aforesaid Telegraph interview, she praised nan Duchess for 'making Harry happy', saying: 'She has made Harry very happy, and that is truthful nice. Honestly, he’s truthful happy pinch her. She really loves him. And I deliberation that’s beautiful.' 

Sarah's girl Eugenie is simply a adjacent friend of nan Sussexes, and has visited them a number of times successful nan US. 

However Harry has besides been highly captious of Sarah's ex-husband Prince Andrew, 64, pinch whom Fergie still enjoys a adjacent relationship.

He became nan first royal to publically criticise his uncle, labelling nan Jeffrey Epstein matter 'a shameful scandal'.

No 1 successful 'The Firm' had spoken astir claims nan Duke of York doubly sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked by Epstein.

Andrew settled her suit successful 2022, accepting nary liability, and has ever denied immoderate wrongdoing. But Harry brought up nan matter successful his book Spare.

GEORGE AND AMAL CLOONEY

Reports person claimed that George and Amal Clooney confessed they didn't cognize nan Duke and Duchess of Sussex moments earlier their royal wedding. 

Hollywood character George, 62, and quality authorities barrister Amal, 46, were among nan 600 guests who witnessed Harry and Meghan speech vows astatine St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, successful May 2018.

In a motion of their evident closeness to nan couple, nan Clooneys were fixed a 'prime pew' adjacent to Lady Carolyn Warren, who is joined to John Warren, nan precocious Queen's bloodstock adviser, and other Princess Margaret's boy Viscount Linley.   

However nan Clooneys reportedly told different guests they didn't cognize nan happy mates good astatine all, according to Rachel Johnson.

'There’s a communicative doing nan rounds that while Carolyn Bartholomew, Diana's erstwhile flatmate, was waiting for nan wedding work to start, she turned to nan mates alongside her and asked really they knew Harry aliases Meghan,' she wrote successful online publication AirMail in 2020. '"We don’t," nan Clooneys answered brightly.'

Carolyn, who attended nan wedding pinch hubby William, is Harry's godmother and was 1 of 3 young women who shared Diana's Earl’s Court level and was privy to nan concealed erstwhile she first met Charles.

She was fixed 1 of nan champion seats successful nan house, other Prince William and Prince Charles.

Johnson added location were plentifulness of different personage guests, including Oprah Winfrey, James Corden, and David and Victoria Beckham who 'could not perchance beryllium aged and beloved friends of nan bridal couple'.

Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams and her hubby Alexis Ohanian were seated adjacent nan Clooneys while nan Beckhams, James Corden and his woman were further away. 

George and Amal caused a operation erstwhile they arrived astatine nan royal wedding and were among nan exclusive 200-strong impermanent database invited to statement nan nighttime distant astatine Frogmore House. George is said to person danced pinch some Meghan and Kate Middleton, 42. 

There are conflicting reports astir really good nan Clooneys knew nan couple. 

Finding Freedom, nan Duke and Duchess of Sussex's biography, claims the Clooneys hosted nan Duke and Duchess of Sussex connected astatine slightest 2 occasions astatine their British location successful Sonning, successful Oxfordshire. 

The book added that Harry and Meghan brought their dogs pinch them, and that George and Amal loved to return friends retired by nan lake.

'There, they had a secluded decked area and wrong was a lounge dressed up pinch accepted nine wood paneling, dense drapes, acheronian velvets, plush chairs, and a bar.'

The curriculum vitae besides claimed nan Clooneys invited nan royals to subordinate them astatine Lake Como conscionable weeks aft nan royal wedding, flying retired connected George's backstage jet.   

During nan three-day visit, a root said, 'Meghan and Amal spent a batch of clip relaxing by nan excavation and playing pinch nan twins while George and Harry checked retired George's motorbike collection. Harry took 1 of them retired pinch 1 of his protection officers. George precocious had an accident, truthful he wasn't backmost connected his motorcycle yet.''

'The duke and duchess weren't nan only guests that weekend. Eugenie and her fiance, Jack Brooksbank, were already astatine nan villa erstwhile Harry and Meghan arrived, their visits overlapping briefly.'

Amal besides hired a backstage pitchy to alert Meghan location from her New York babe ablution successful February 2019.