Roland Mouret recalls his time with Victoria Beckham and says he 'didn't mean to make her cry' and claims she asked if he fancied David - after revealing he embarrassed Meghan

Roland Mouret set tongues wagging this week after he revealed he 'embarrassed' the Duchess of Sussex, who refused to wear his clothes ever again after a mishap.

The French designer shared the incident in his memoir I Am Roland Mouret: The Butcher's Boy Who Dressed the World, which also includes stories about another high-profile figure, Victoria Beckham.

Roland has shared an insight into his relationship with Victoria, 52, after helping her at the start of her fashion career when Victoria said 'nobody took her seriously.'

He dished on their personal and professional relationship after he was brought on to help Victoria when she first launched her brand in 2008.

During her self-titled Netflix series, Victoria spoke warmly about her history with Roland, but revealed during the early stages of building her fashion label, he would question her decisions and that she used to cry a lot while working with him.

But in extracts shared in The Times, Roland has now insisted he 'never set out to make or cry' and admitted he doesn't even remember it happening. 

He wrote in his memoir: 'I knew I would never do anything to Victoria to hurt her. I would never set out to make her cry.'

Before he began working with Victoria, they met over a dinner with her husband David, who he said 'arrived late and didn't talk much.'

He recalled how Victoria quizzed him on if he fancied David and told him that she thinks 'all gay men fancy my husband'. 

Roland said: 'He was there to support her. When he left the table for a few minutes, she asked if I fancied him. "I don't fancy David at all. Nothing about him attracts".

"But all gay men fancy David", I said "I promise you, Victoria, no gay man who fancies me fancies David." And then I leaned in and said "And lots of gay men fancy me," causing Victoria to roar with laughter.

Roland wrote in his memoir that the Duchess of Sussex vowed never to wear his clothes again after his fashion house 'embarrassed' her by mistakenly asking for freebie clothes back through the Princess of Wales's office, a new book claims.

He said Meghan erupted after one of his staff contacted Kensington Palace instead of the duchess's team to arrange the return of the items.

Meghan allegedly told him the blunder had humiliated her and declared she could never wear his designs again.

He wrote: 'Meghan was furious and called me. "You don't realise what you've done! You've embarrassed me".'

Roland does not say exactly when the row happened, only that it was after Meghan and Harry's 'relationship became public' but before Megxit in 2020.

She allegedly refused to accept his apology and told him: 'You know now I can never wear your clothes again.'

Meghan later wore what Roland described as a 'cheap high street copy' of one of his designs, prompting him to text her and tell her she was being 'ridiculous'.

In his memoir due to be released next week, he writes: 'Meghan's decision not to wear my clothes was hers, not the palace's, not anybody else's. I don't think anyone else cared.'

Of her decision to shun his designs, he added: 'I didn't see the logic of that but I didn't question it.'

Roland says of the Princess of Wales, who he has designed dresses for since 2011: 'Many want to be famous but if Kate could do everything she does, and be married to the man she is married to, without the fame, you suspect she would choose it.'

A spokesman for the Duchess of Sussex declined to comment. 

The duchess and Roland had been close friends since meeting while on holiday in Turkey in 2015, and he was among the first people she told after falling in love with Harry.

They met in a hotel lift as Meghan, wearing just a dressing gown, headed to the Soho House spa.

He wrote: 'I said: "You don't know me but you do know me in a way. I am Roland Mouret".

'She screamed and laughed and we chatted for a few moments. I told her that Suits was being very good to me', explaining that the show's makers had used his designs.

They arranged to meet again at a party that evening and became close.

When back in Canada filming Suits, she later texted him to say she had split from a boyfriend.

'I'm coming to London soon. I'm going to travel in Europe this summer because I'm single and I want to have a change,' she wrote.

Roland claims that within months she had met Harry and told him about the relationship before the world knew she was dating a prince.

In his book, serialised in The Times, he recalled: 'I got a call from her. "Roland, I met someone". 

"Your nice European guy?'

"Nice British guy". She giggled.

"Even better," I said. "What does he do?" She hesitated. "He's a prince".'

Roland wrote: 'I knew she was in love. It was the amount of breath mixed in with her words, finely balanced but revealing, just like a perfume.

'There was only one British prince. We knew who we were talking about.'

The celebrated designer then offered to provide Meghan with clothes for her new life.

He told her: 'You'll go to a lot of functions, you'll need clothes. Do you want me to send you some now so that you'll be ready?'

She replied: 'Yes, please.'

He wrote: 'I asked a member of my team to send a selection I had put aside to the palace. “Leave them there as long as she wants them. Don’t follow up on it and do not talk about it to anyone at all, here or outside".

'Three months later, Meghan and I met up for a coffee. She said, “It’s going to come out very soon. We think the press know and it’s any day now".'

But Mouret claims their friendship later soured when a member of his team asked for the clothes back.

The mistake, he says, was that the request was made through Kate's team rather than directly to Meghan and her aides.

Roland had designed for Kate for many years and suggests the member of staff went via the now Princess of Wales's team at Kensington Palace for efficiency reasons. 

He wrote: 'Meghan and Harry's relationship became public. Then the same team member who had sent the clothes for Meghan decided, in an honest attempt to be efficient, to call Kate's stylist at the palace and ask for Meghan's dresses to be returned.

'Meghan was furious and called me.'

Roland said his apology was not accepted.

He told her: 'Meghan, it was just a mistake by someone who didn't know. My apologies. I know it's not good for you and you want to do things privately.'

But she allegedly replied: 'You know now I can never wear your clothes again.'

Roland claims Meghan subsequently began wearing at least one 'cheap high street copy' of his designs.

He wrote: 'The following year, I saw a photo of her out in a cheap high street copy of one of my designs. I messaged her: "I can understand if you don't wear my stuff, but if it's to wear a cheap copy then that's ridiculous. Come back".'

She texted back: 'I think I should come and see you.' 

Meghan has herself spoken of the close bond she shared with the French designer.

She wore his dresses for red carpet appearances and gave him a string of social media shout-outs.

The Duchess also confirmed that they first met in a hotel lift in Istanbul.

'This man in a bathrobe said, 'I'd love to dress you', I thought 'whaaat?' Then he told me who he was and we've been friends ever since,' she said.

She later wrote on social media: 'Love your dresses to the moon and back, but love you even more #favouritedesigner.'

The pair also posed for a series of cosy selfies together.

Roland was among the designers tipped to make Meghan's royal wedding dress, although she eventually chose Givenchy.

In his book, he does not appear to say whether he and Meghan remain on good terms.

But he writes warmly of the Princess of Wales, who wore a Roland Roland dress to the Wimbledon ladies' singles final in July.

He recalled: 'Kate Middleton came to my studio to try on some clothes. Later, I went to the palace with clothes for her. Many want to be famous but if Kate could do everything she does, and be married to the man she is married to, without the fame, you suspect she would choose it.'

The fashionista's claims came hours after Meghan and Harry made their first public appearance together since their extraordinary return to the UK.

The Duke of Sussex repeatedly put a protective arm around his wife as they were cheered by crowds and stopped for selfies during a series of royal-style engagements in Nottingham on Thursday.

When a supporter welcomed her back to the UK, Meghan smiled and replied: 'It's wonderful to be back.'

Their royal-style charity engagements in the East Midlands, just six weeks after returning to live in Britain, came after the King described the Sussexes as 'private citizens'.

Critics have called the visits, organised by Team Sussex, a 'cynical' attempt to return to royal duties 'by stealth'. Harry was in playful mood and was pictured tickling a man's ginger beard.