Royal expert recounts awkward moment with Prince Harry, Meghan Markle

A renowned journalist has shared an encounter he had with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle onboard a flight after their marriage in 2018.

It happened when the newlyweds were flying home from their 16-day tour of Australasia in 2018, five months after their wedding.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's royal tour was memorable for several reasons, including the announcement of Meghan's pregnancy on the eve of their first day on tour.

Valentine Low,  former royal correspondent and author, recounted a particularly awkward moment he and other media persons experienced with the Sussexes in the latest episode of A Right Royal Podcast.

"We were flying from Tonga back to Sydney. And often on these tours, there comes a point towards the end, when the royal might come back to the back of the plane and have a chat with us off the record, you know, not for printing, but it's a way of making bonds. It's a way of keeping us sweet. It's a way of having informal contact," Valentine told hosts Andrea Caamano, Emmy Griffiths and Hello royal editor Emily Nash.

The author went on revealing: "And we were promised that he or they would come to the back of the plane, and it didn't happen.

"It didn't happen and this was a four or five-hour flight, 'When's this gonna happen? Then we were buckling up for the descent and we landed. And it hadn't happened."

Valentine revealed: "And only after we landed, they came back into the back of the plane. And Harry was slightly in front of Meghan, she was slightly behind him. And she didn't say much. She did make some strange remark about us wanting to get back for our Sunday lunch. And it was completely bizarre.

 "But it's what he said that was memorable.

"He said 'thanks very much for coming, even though you weren't invited.' And we thought, 'What? '".

Royal commentator Valentine described Harry's comments to him as being "rude".