Queen Camilla recently sent a personal letter to American author Emily Giffin, who had previously made controversial comments about Meghan Markle, describing her as “unmaternal.” Giffin, known for her 2005 New York Times bestseller Something Borrowed, publicly apologized in 2020 for her remarks, in which she also called the Duchess of Sussex “phoney.”
According to GB News, Giffin shared on social media that she received a personal note from Queen Camilla in July. In the letter, which Giffin posted on her Instagram account on August 28, Camilla expressed her gratitude for receiving a copy of Giffin’s new novel. She mentioned that she looked forward to reading it “in the peace and quiet of Scotland.”
Camilla also recalled their meeting at the second annual Queen’s Reading Room literary festival at Hampton Court Palace earlier in the summer, describing it as a “great pleasure” and expressing hope that their “paths will cross again in the near future.” It remains unclear whether Camilla was aware of Giffin’s past comments about Meghan when she penned the letter.
In 2020, Giffin faced significant backlash after she criticized Meghan on Instagram, following a video the Duchess shared of herself reading to her son, Prince Archie, on his first birthday. In her posts, Giffin labeled Meghan as “unmaternal” and “such a phony,” while also criticizing the video as being “the [Meghan] show,” and questioning why Prince Harry did not take part on camera.
The remarks were met with swift condemnation from royal fans, prompting Giffin to issue a public apology on Instagram. In her apology, Giffin stated that she often posts in an “unfiltered way” and that she has a deep interest in the British monarchy. She clarified that her criticism of Meghan had “never had anything to do with her race” and expressed regret over the negative impact her words had caused.
Giffin acknowledged that some of her posts may have come across as “mean-spirited” and could be interpreted as having racial undertones, which she insisted was not her intention. “I am truly sorry for that negative impact,” she wrote. At the time, Meghan Markle did not publicly respond to Giffin’s criticism or apology.