The Duchess of Cambridge's uncle "doesn't believe for a moment" that she made the Duchess of Sussex cry before her wedding.

Duchess Catherine and Duchess Meghan

Duchess Catherine and Duchess Meghan

The former 'Suits' actress - who was known as Meghan Markle before her marriage to Prince Harry - claimed in her recent interview with Oprah Winfrey that she'd been reduced to tears by her future sister-in-law following a row over bridesmaid dresses, but Duchess Catherine's relative, Gary Goldsmith, has now jumped to her defence and insisted his niece "doesn't have a mean bone in her body".

He said: "I don’t believe for a moment that Kate made Meghan cry.

"‘I’ve known Kate since she was born and she doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. It’s just simply not in her nature.

"'She’s even lovelier on the inside than on the outside. If anyone had a hissy fit, it must have been Meghan. Kate would have been trying to make the peace. I would fight for Kate’s honour until the day I die. She is the most spectacular person I’ve ever met."

Meghan had insisted "the reverse happened" when Oprah asked her about reports she had made Catherine cry in the build-up to her 2018 wedding but Gary - the older brother of the duchess' mother, Carole Middleton - said he "doesn't believe a word" she says.

Gary told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: "When Meghan first entered the Royal Family, I was made up for Harry.

"Like the rest of the country, it seemed she was the real deal and it was a marriage made in heaven. But what has happened is heartbreaking.

"I don’t blame Meghan – she’s a Hollywood starlet. You can’t blame a tiger for biting the head off a sheep. But I don’t believe a word that comes out of her mouth. She’s an actress and knows how to manipulate her audience.

"I don’t believe for a second she had to Google the words to the National Anthem. Harry has been singing it since the age of five."

And after Meghan claimed in the interview she was denied help when she told the royal family she was suicidal, Gary questioned how Harry - whose brother is Catherine's husband Prince William - reacted.

He said: "The last time I checked, he was the face of a mental wellbeing charity. Where was he in all this? Surely as her husband, he should have been able to give her the help and support she needed.

"He’s a senior Army officer who has been in a war zone. He should be able to stand up for himself and his wife.

"He shouldn’t claim to be family-centric when he has hurt everyone who loves him. You don’t ask for anonymity and take a step back from public life to then throw your family and your grandmother under a bus on TV. Why would you do that?

"The Royal Family is not racist, it’s not sexist, it’s not ageist. They are a moral compass."