Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh revealed this week that she felt ‘snubbed’ by the Duchess of Sussex, saying Meghan appeared to call time on their friendship when she began dating Prince Harry in 2016.
The 33-year-old reality TV star – married to fellow MIC cast member Hugo Taylor, who once dated Princess Eugenie and is friends with Prince Harry – told the Mumlemmas podcast that she felt Meghan distanced herself, apparently keen not to be associated with Made In Chelsea.
She revealed a final exchange, after Millie had asked about her blossoming relationship with the prince, which evoked an ‘abrupt’ message from Meghan, saying ‘she’d basically told me to f**k off in that message. So I did. And we haven’t spoken since’.
While Meghan perhaps wasn’t a fan of the show – now in its 25th season – the same can’t be said for other royals. There are connections galore to be found between its stars and the Windsor set.
Millie Mackintosh said this week she felt her friendship with Meghan Markle (pictured cycling in Oxfordshire together in 2016) went cold because of her association with Made in Chelsea
Their lives are surprisingly entwined; you don’t have to dig very deep to find blue-blooded links to the high society residents of SW3.
Born spectacularly wealthy, and with access to the same elite private schools, including Harrow and Eton, plus members-only nightclubs and elite sporting facilities, it’s little wonder their lives have become entangled over the years.
Here, FEMAIL looks at exactly how the worlds of the Windsor and Chelsea sets collide…
ALL ROAD LEAD BACK TO PRINCE HARRY?
Prince Harry has multiple connections with the Chelsea set – made via his education at Eton and continued on the Mayfair party circuit – but the Duchess of Sussex was apparently less keen to mingle with those associated with the show
Before he de-camped to the US with the Duchess of Sussex to enjoy an envious life in the swish Californian enclave of Montecito, young Prince Harry’s love of a night out – in 90s venues such as Mahiki, Bouji and Mayfair favourite Annabel’s – ensured his friendships with fellow Etonians – many now Chelsea-based – stayed strong.
MIC star Ollie Proudlock, who was at Eton at the same time as Harry, was close to Harry’s so-called ‘three musketeers’: Julian Rufus Isaacs, Arthur Landon and Tom Inskip, known as Skippy, all of whom played a part in Harry’s 2018 wedding to Mehgan.
Now 34, Proudlock, who attended Eugenie’s wedding, welcomed a daughter, Bonnie Lou, with wife Emma Louise Connolly last summer.
Another MIC connection of Harry’s is Richard Dinan, whose parents are Lady Charlotte Curzon and headhunter Captain John Dinan.
He once said of Prince Harry: ‘I give him full-on, first-grade star, a f***ing good man.’
Harry’s ex Cressida Bonas and playboy entrepreneur Richard Dinan are cousins
And blonde playboy Dinan, who sports dazzling teeth and is now the founder of aerospace company Pulsar Fusion, is the cousin of actress Cressida Bonas, who Harry famously dated.
Throughout their relationship and after its collapse, Dinan kept quiet about them, once saying: ‘She doesn’t want her cousin from Made In Chelsea diving into it.’
His loyalty has paid off, and his friendship with Harry survived the break-up.
Last year, socialite Cressida, who dated Prince Harry from 2012 to 2014, had a son Wilbur with husband Harry Wentworth-Stanley.
Old Harrovian Hugo Taylor, once a self-certified party boy – who was rumoured to have dated Princess Eugenie – got to know Harry via his close pal Guy Pelly, who gave Hugo a promotion job at his Park Lane nightclub Whisky Mist.
Now though, Taylor is a reformed character, having settled down with Meghan’s former pal – and MIC co-star – Millie Mackintosh.
Old Harrovian Hugo Taylor got to know Prince Harry via his school friend Guy Pelly. He married Millie Mackintosh – who says she was snubbed by Meghan – in 2018
The couple have two daughters together, Sienna and Aurelia Violet
MIC star Tabitha Willett dated Prince Harry’s friend Fraser Carruthers for several years and have a daughter – but split in 2020
Fraser is seen partying with Spencer Matthews, left, and is close friends with a range of the Made In Chelsea circle
The reality star, 36, met Millie on the high society social scene and endured a turbulent romance – she wed rapper Professor Green in 2011 before splitting two years later – before finally marrying her in 2018. Spencer Matthews was, of course, best man.
Prince Harry is also thought to still be good pals with club mogul Fraser Carruthers, who had a baby with Made in Chelsea star, Tabitha Willett, before the pair split in 2020. Harry’s chum co-owns popular Chelsea-based club Raffles, is also friends with Spencer Matthews and once launched a sake brand with Ollie Proudlock.
FAMILY LINKS: THE MIDDLETONS AND THE MATTHEWS
Princes William and Harry in happier times with MIC star Spencer Matthews, attending his brother James Matthews’ 2017 wedding to the Princess of Wales’ sister Pippa Middleton
During his time on MIC between 2011 and 2015, ‘bad boy’ Spencer Matthews was notorious for attending boozy parties with pal Jamie Laing and for serial dating cast members such as Louise Thompson and Lucy Watson.
He’s arguably still the most famous Made in Chelsea export, and can now boast bonafide links to the royals, thanks to his brother James’ lavish wedding to the Princess of Wales’ sister Pippa Middleton in 2017.
Prince George was a pageboy at the lavish bash at the regal Englefield estate, and Princes William and Harry were seen joking with Spencer, who shares three young children with wife Vogue Williams.
Both he and Prince William can call themselves brother-in-law to Kate’s younger sister.
PRINCESS EUGENIE AND BEATRICE’S PARTY PALS
Princess Beatrice, 34, was often seen as the social secretary for high society get-togethers, inviting friends including Prince Harry’s ex Cressida Bonas to let off steam in London’s swankiest clubs.
Beatrice is also pals with James Matthews (husband of Pippa Middleton); the pals were introduced via Beatrice’s former boyfriend, Dave Clark.
Another MIC favourite, Ollie Proudlock, managed to bag an invitation to Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in 2018.
Princess Eugenie seen with Ollie Proudlock and Hugo Taylor in 2008 – both starred in Made in Chelsea at the time, and then 18-year-old Eugenie was rumoured to be dating Taylor
MIC star Ollie Proudlock and then girlfriend – now wife – Emma Louise Connolly bagged an invitation to Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank in 2018
MIC star Oliver shared a picture of himself and girlfriend Emma on Instagram stories
The handsome reality star has been friends with the princess for years due to their shared love of the London party circuit alongside a host of other young royals.
He took his girlfriend – now wife, since their wedding in 2020, Emma Louise Connolly, along to the royal nuptials.
Proudlock’s former co-star Hugo Taylor definitely wasn’t at the wedding – but did have a dalliance with a young Princess Eugenie. Back in 2008, the 18-year-old royal was rumoured to have been wooed by then shaven-headed Taylor, a close friend of Harry’s as she partied during her gap year.
ANYONE FOR TENNIS? THE EARL OF SNOWDON AND MARK-FRANCIS VANDELLI
In July last year, many were surprised to see Princess Margaret’s son the Earl of Snowdon choosing to take Made in Chelsea star Mark-Francis Vandelli as his guest to the All England Tennis Club – the men bonded over their love of furniture
King Charles III’s cousin, David Armstrong-Jones, surprised many at Wimbledon last year when his chosen companion in the Royal Box was Made in Chelsea star Mark-Francis Vandelli.
The Earl of Snowdon, 61, apparently struck up a friendship with the reality TV star, 33 over their love of furniture.
Vandelli has been a member of the semi-reality show since its first season and a fixture on the programme ever since.
Princess Margaret’s son, professionally known as David Linley, invited Vandelli as his guest to watch Brit Cameron Norrie’s semi-final on Centre Court at the All England Club.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk