Meghan Markle's British Etiquette Teacher Has Harsh Words For His Ex-Pupil

When Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, accepted her ring from Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, she knew she wasn't entering any ordinary family. Marrying a British prince means adhering to the palace's traditions and etiquette, no matter how odd they seem, and no matter if other royals disregard them. During her brief time as a working royal, Meghan got in trouble for breaking royal rules that Catherine, Princess of Wales, got away with (the tabloids clutched their pearls when the duchess wore pantsuits and short maternity dresses, closed her own car door, and neglected to don a hat when out with Queen Elizabeth — yet they stayed silent when Kate Middleton did the exact same things).

Still, Meghan knew she would be expected to put her best foot forward when with her in-laws, especially for occasions such as mealtimes. That's why she took a two-hour class in British tea etiquette back in 2017. Per The Sun, the duchess-to-be consulted Edmund Fry, owner of The Rose Tree Cottage in Pasadena, California, to learn exactly how to drink a cuppa (small sips, handle of the cup in the 3:00 position) and eat a scone (first cut it in half, then top each half separately with jam and clotted cream). At the time, Fry described Meghan as such: "She is an amazing young lady, so very in control herself and very nice with people. She was very nice, not loud, very gentle, beautiful to look at, beautifully dressed, really well put out." He also claimed the visit to the tearoom solidified her love for England. Since then, Fry's opinion has changed considerably.

Though tearoom owner Edmund Fry was once proud to teach Meghan Markle the ways of a proper English tea, he now disapproves of both the duchess and Prince Harry following their exit from royal life and their subsequent media and book projects. He gave an exclusive interview to The Sun in which he declared that he was appalled by the Sussexes' choices. "If you look at the choices that [King] Charles has made, he's done a tremendous amount of things with British youth and he's very much of an environmentalist," Fry told the outlet. By contrast, he claimed the public is very put off by Harry and Meghan's accusations made against family members, as well as their apparent lack of charity work in British territories.

The Rose Tree Cottage may be California-based, but its clientele is most decidedly Anglophiles — and palace loyalists, at that. Fry explained to the tabloid that his customers "do not even mention Harry and Meghan ... And you couldn't give a book away on Meghan anymore. Not here." Still, Fry did allow that it's "wonderful" the Sussexes are now free to live their own lives, though he hopes they'll use their money to help the less fortunate. He even foresaw an eventual reuniting between Prince Harry and his family. "I think eventually it all come back and things will settle down," he predicted. If and when that happens, at least we know Meghan will be able to hold her own at royal teatimes.