The dinner host seated beside Meghan offers a different account of what was said at the table — and why Martha’s royal reunion story doesn’t add up.
ByBernadette Giacomazzo
August 7, 2026
Key Takeaways
- The California dinner host who sat next to Meghan Markle says Martha Stewart’s claim that Meghan was talking about a recent reunion with King Charles at the table is “simply untrue,” adding Meghan only said her family had a great European trip.
- Stewart had told People she dined with Meghan right after Meghan “gotten back from the palace,” but the Sussexes had actually met King Charles and Queen Camilla privately at Highgrove House during a wider trip that also included Portugal and Princess Diana’s family estate, Althorp.
- The dispute comes as Stewart keeps questioning Meghan’s pivot into lifestyle TV and products with With Love, Meghan and As ever, even as Meghan’s shows earn a Daytime Emmy nod and expand into honey, wine, candles, and more—despite Meghan reportedly being a longtime fan of Stewart.
Martha Stewart says Meghan Markle was talking about her recent reunion with King Charles at a California dinner party. The person who actually sat next to Meghan that night says Stewart has it wrong.
“I sat next to Meghan at the dinner party, and this account of what happened is simply untrue,” the event’s host told People, directly challenging Stewart’s version of the evening. “Meghan didn’t talk about her European vacation other than to say the family had a great time.”
That’s a considerably different story from the one Stewart told in her latest People cover story.
While discussing her approach to dinner parties, the 85-year-old lifestyle mogul suddenly brought up a recent encounter with Meghan. “I had dinner with Meghan Markle the other night,” Stewart said. “We were both guests at a dinner party in California, and she had just gotten back from the palace.”
Stewart acknowledged that she barely interacted with Meghan herself, saying, “I didn’t talk to her really more than to say a couple words,” before adding, “but I know she was talking about it.”
According to the host, she wasn’t.
There’s another factual wrinkle: Meghan hadn’t “gotten back from the palace.” She, Prince Harry, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet privately met Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House, the King’s country estate. The reunion marked Charles’ first in-person visit with Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, since 2022.
The Sussexes’ European trip also included Portugal and Althorp, the Spencer family’s sprawling estate where Princess Diana grew up and is buried. Meghan later posted selected photos from the family vacation, but the dinner host maintains she wasn’t spilling details about it over the table.
The pushback lands amid a string of pointed remarks from Stewart about Meghan’s increasingly successful move into Stewart’s own territory: lifestyle television and products.
Asked about With Love, Meghan, which recently scored a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lifestyle Program, Stewart questioned Meghan’s entire career progression.
“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. So go from there.”
Stewart had already questioned Meghan’s credentials last year while discussing the Duchess’ Netflix series and As ever brand.
“I hope she knows what she’s talking about,” Stewart said, adding, “Authenticity, to me, is everything.”
Meghan’s lifestyle operation has only expanded since then. With Love, Meghan produced two seasons and a holiday special before earning its Emmy nomination, while As ever grew from its initial preserves into honey, wine, candles and other products. Earlier this year, the company separated from Netflix and began operating independently.
The irony is that Meghan apparently doesn’t share Stewart’s skepticism.
“Meghan has always been a fan of Martha’s and enjoyed getting to meet her briefly at the dinner,” the host told People.
