Meghan Markle Denies Sharing Royal Trip Gossip With Martha Stewart

Meghan Markle has pushed back against Martha Stewart after the lifestyle icon claimed the Duchess shared gossip about her recent UK trip at a California dinner party. An insider close to the Sussexes insists the cooking star must have been confused because they were not seated near one another.

Martha told People magazine that she knew Meghan was openly talking about visiting Highgrove to see Prince Harry's father, King Charles. The former actress allegedly discussed her family reunion with Queen Camilla while dining with other guests. That event took place last month during a chaotic week for the royal family in Britain.

Prince Harry reportedly agreed beforehand not to speak publicly or share photographs from that private visit. Yet Meghan posted intimate moments on Instagram. She did not include any images from Highgrove. Today, a source told the Mirror that Meghan only made an innocent comment about enjoying a nice holiday in Europe when asked by someone else at the table.

'Meghan was asked by someone else about her European vacation and said it was nice, and that was the extent of it,' the insider stated. 'I think she must have been confused.' Despite this disagreement over what happened at the gathering, the source added that Meghan remains a fan of Ms Stewart.

Martha also addressed rumors that Meghan wants to usurp her as the world's best-known homemaker. The cookbook author noted how hard it is for an actress to transition into royalty and then become a television homemaking guru. 'If you're an actress, it's hard to then transition to a princess and then from a princess into a homemaking guru on a television show,' Stewart said. 'It doesn't sort of follow.'

The Sussexes often feature in US publications like People. Comments made by Martha there have caused quite a stir among fans and watchers alike. The Duchess denies chatting about the UK trip with diners beyond mentioning her recent European getaway.

So go from there.' It is not the first time Stewart has passed comment on Meghan's arrival into the cooking world, with the star previously saying she hopes the Duchess 'knows what she's talking about'.

'Authenticity, to me, is everything, and to be authentic and knowledgeable about your subject matter is extremely important,' Stewart told Yahoo Lifestyle. She also claimed she didn't 'mind' the idea of having successors. The Daily Mail contacted Meghan's representatives for comment.

Meghan posted a new clip of her dancing to a happy birthday song wearing a tiara-like headband to celebrate turning 45. The Duchess uploaded a series of videos from her special day on Instagram, showing her bopping to the music and laughing as she and Harry put paper hats on their two dogs, Pula and Mamma Mia.

In the clips, Meghan shares a rare glimpse of herself in casual attire as she sports white pyjama bottoms and a T-shirt branded with the words 'It's giving Mrs'. A birthday song plays in the background, while Harry laughs and says 'oh dear' from behind the camera. Her Instagram story then flicks to a second video showing the couple's two dogs wearing paper hats - with the duke and duchess laughing as the pets appear less than impressed by their accessories.

The hats slip on and off the dogs, before Harry repeats 'oh dear' and Meghan chuckles, adding: 'Oh no, okay, let's take it off. I'm sorry.' Meghan thanked her followers 'for the birthday love' as she celebrated turning 45 by jumping into a pool with a bunch of balloons.

The clips came hours after Meghan marked the occasion by sharing photos of herself jumping into an outdoor pool while holding balloons - as she thanked her followers for 'the birthday love' on social media. Her lifestyle brand As Ever also congratulated the mother-of-two with a snap of Meghan wearing a designer striped shirt from Céline and white Anine Bing 'Brie' jeans.

The company's social media post also included a throwback photo of a young Meghan sporting pigtails and a white turtleneck, seated in what looks to be her childhood bedroom. To mark the duchess's birthday, the brand wrote on social media: 'Happy birthday to our founder, @meghan. Lighting No. 084 to celebrate!' The caption referenced a candle sold by the brand, which appeared alongside other As Ever products in one of a quartet of photos posted to celebrate Meghan's special day.