Duchess Meghan baked homemade banana bread for all the folks in Dubbo

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex touch down in Dubbo, Australia

As we discussed earlier, Miracle Meg – aka the Duchess of Sussex – brought healing and smiles to a drought-stricken and sad farmland of Dubbo, Australia. Soon after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in Dubbo, much needed rain began to fall and everyone just knew that Miracle Meg is now the much-prophesied dragonslayer and rainmaker. But did you ALSO know that Meghan stays on-brand even when she’s traveling to far-flung, drought-stricken lands? Meghan’s brand is all about food and family and wine and togetherness. And Meghan was raised well too: she was raised to always bring a gift when traveling to someone’s home or farm. So Meghan brought her own banana bread to share.

Banana bread is a tricky endeavor, especially if one is traveling. I mean, I don’t know from personal experience – I’m not much of a bread baker. If I’m baking, it’s more about cakes or cookies, and that’s usually just around the Christmas holiday. Is banana bread hard to make? It seems like it would be difficult because of the exact measurements needed for the right kind of moistness. No one wants too-dry banana bread! So is that Meghan decompressed and dealt with her jet-lag? She stayed in and baked. SO ON-BRAND. Miracle Meg, bringer of rain and baked goods. Miracle Meghan: rainmaker, dragonslayer and breadmaker.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive in Dubbo, and so does the rain!

Prince Harry and pregnant Megan Markle are greeted in Dubbo by local school children

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

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186 Responses to “Duchess Meghan baked homemade banana bread for all the folks in Dubbo”

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  1. NotSoSocialButterfly says:

    Banana bread is easy to make- like a cake in a loaf pan. No kneading or rising. Mix & pop it in the oven. I adore these two together.

    • Swack says:

      It is but as with all those types of bread (I have a great strawberry and strawberry banana bread recipe) baking it so that it isn’t dry can be tricky. I love a good banana bread!

      • Lady D says:

        I make banana split banana bread. I add strawberries, chunks of pineapple and chocolate chips to it.

      • Swack says:

        That sounds good. I’ve added chocolate chips to the plain strawberry bread as the grandkiddos like it that way.

      • HK9 says:

        What??!!?? There’s strawberry banana bread!!! (Angels are singing in my head) I’m googling that recipe right now. Where have I been all my life??

      • Jaded says:

        I put yogurt in my banana bread – it makes it really moist. Oh, and walnuts.

      • isabellaluna says:

        Lady D – please, please – recipe? I am just floored by the magnificence of the idea.

      • LT says:

        I made banana bread two weeks ago and it was perfect – I had a lot of really, really ripe bananas that were about to be incubators for fruit flies. The recipe called for sour cream and I tossed in many chocolate chips – my fiancé and daughter said it was “the best ever.” So, there ya go.

      • Lady D says:

        @isabellaluna, sorry for the delay, I’ve been gone all day. The recipe I used belonged to my grandma, but just about any banana bread recipe will work. I add 1/2C of chocolate chips and about the same of strawberry and pineapple chunks. I tried dried pineapple, but it tends to dry the bread, so canned or fresh. A little coconut is good also. Whoever said to add yogurt to keep it moist is right. I use part yogurt, part milk for every cake/fruit bread I make, and they are always moist.

      • Lisa says:

        I put diced apples in mine. It makes it nice and moist

      • Jeanette Rushing says:

        SWACK this sounds AMAZING..would you share your recipe??

    • Livvers says:

      I think the biggest challenge making it while travelling is finding bananas that are ripe enough. I can’t imagine she had access to brown freezer bananas!

      • Malificent says:

        If you put them in the freezer, ripe bananas become brown and mushy and the properror over-ripe consistency.

      • Lady D says:

        You can also bake almost green bananas and get the same.

      • Livvers says:

        I hope this advice helps other people, but for me personally, banana bread bananas will always need to be 80-90% brown spotty at room temperature at the time of freezing in order to allow the development of _full banana flavour_. No green banana or frozen-solid-yellow-banana-turned-brown, however accurate the consistency or sweetness level, will ever convince me otherwise.

      • Nic919 says:

        Livvers I do exactly the same thing and have a few frozen bananas that are waiting for when my next baking mood strikes.

      • wildflower says:

        Banana bread also freezes very well, so maybe they brought a frozen loaf she made back home and thawed it out the night before?

    • LadyMTL says:

      It is indeed so easy to make (I am not the best baker but even I can’t screw up banana bread too badly haha). I would think the trickiest part would be having to bake it in an unfamiliar oven, if anything.

    • ChillyWilly says:

      Yep. Super easy. So is zucchini bread. I want Meg’s recipe now!

      • Lilly says:

        Thanks all for the tips. I’ve never made it and I want the recipe now too. And, yes also, to these two together. Looks like Australia has really loved the trip.

    • LahdidahBaby says:

      I do, too! I’m in love with them as a couple.

    • Silent Star says:

      Yeah it’s super easy and delicious! The tricky part about making it in another country is the fact that flour and baking powder/soda can be really different in different countries, so things can sometimes not turn out quite right.

  2. lower-case deb says:

    hers look a bit more denser, more into banana cake territory (full disclosure i personally prefer banana *cake* than bread tbh). i glaze mine with chocolate ganache.

    in any case glad she brought *something* for once. it’s a good move even if people want to be cynical about it.

    it’s about time royals bring something when they visit and not just take take take.

    • Masamf says:

      This post made me LOL😂😂😂😂😂

    • hoopjumper says:

      Honest question: what is this event, exactly? A visit but also a lunch? It seems clear she knew there was some kind of food thing where she could contribute; she doesn’t usually bring food, right? And I’m sure she would normally if it were expected. I have a feeling there is more context here and I’d love to know what it was.

      Go Meg go!

      • Jan90067 says:

        It was a visit to a farm, and then Tea with the family that owned the farm.

      • Becks1 says:

        They actually went to a farm while there, and that’s where she brought the bread. They visited a family farm that has been in the same family for generations, and I think the idea was probably to have a little lunch set up so they could eat and talk in a less formal setting (they toured the farm as well.) So since she was going to someone’s house, and not just an event, she brought the banana bread.

      • Lioness says:

        The sign on the table the loaf has been placed on says CWA which stands for Country Womens Association of Australia. The CWA has been around for almost 100 years and has branches all over Australia. They are famous for their baking, cookbooks and cake stalls which raise money for rural families in need.

        I don’t know the full details of this event but would assume the community has come together for a morning tea, to welcome the royals and the CWA has put together some food for everyone which Meg has contributed too.

        I love that she has taken part in this tradition and think it aligns well with her passion project.

      • hoopjumper says:

        This is adorable, and awesome, and everything I wanted to hear. It really makes me tear up a little, how nice it must have been for that family to know one of the most famous women in the world made something for them. But maybe I’m projecting: if MM ever made me bread, it would go on my damn tombstone.

      • PrincessK says:

        The itinerary says, ‘The Duke and Duchess will then travel to Victoria Park to join people from Dubbo and surrounding areas at a picnic, followed by a visit to a local school’.

        So she knew well in advance about the picnic and knew to be prepared. But of course I am sure nobody expected her to make a contribution. A very nice touch which shows she has lived in the real world for a long time.

      • RoyalSparkle says:

        +100
        Quite a lovely touch for the Duke and Duchess visit to the Farm.

        The photo of The Duke – Duchess holding the umbrella for her Prince – is really beautiful. She looks wonderful in her attire, but i think the jacket seem an awful looking cut, which Duchess Meghan carry off well with the pant not too skin tight fitted like the dolittle.
        Quite lovely The Duchess dont seem too entitled or delicate for The Sussex to be in the rain (Royal baby or not!).

  3. Anastasia says:

    Banana bread isn’t difficult. It’s considered a “quick bread” because it doesn’t involve yeast. As long as you have enough fat and mushed banana in it, it’ll be moist enough.

    That being said, good on her! I think that was super sweet of her!

  4. Flying fish says:

    Oh yes she did!
    I know nothing about baking.

  5. Melania says:

    I love Miracle Meg LOL
    That was a sweet gesture. She’s really doing great

  6. Becks1 says:

    I actually don’t think banana bread is that hard to make. I’m not much of a baker (because of the whole “precise measurement” thing, I come from the Rachael Ray school of “twice around the pan seems about right” lol) but I can make a decent banana bread. Nothing amazing, but decent. So if Meghan can bake at all, and has made it before, she probably could make it fairly easily (and I’m sure she has made it before, because she’s not going to try a new recipe with the world watching, lol.)

    Anyway I think this so far may be my favorite Meghan moment. She’s pregnant, she’s probably still dealing with jet lag from traveling to the other side of the world, she’s in the governor’s mansion (I forget his exact title), and she is probably exhausted, and she’s in the kitchen baking banana bread because you don’t show up empty handed.

    I mean…..she is freaking killing it.

    • EMF999 says:

      I think I must be hormonal or something but bringing banana bread as a “hostess” gift made me a bit dewy-eyed. @becks1 – you are spot on with this – she is freaking killing it.

  7. Belluga says:

    It’s not difficult, which is dangerous in my house as it can be whipped up so easily!

    Lovely gesture from Meghan. Mama Doria raised her well!

  8. Melly says:

    Duchess Meghan of house Windsor. First of her name. The rain-bringer. Mother of Polo Baby, Breaker of protocol. Khaleesi of the ginger prince. Queen of delightful baked goods.

  9. Becks1 says:

    I consider it a win that he didn’t wear a white button down and blazer, either blue or black (which is his normal “casual uniform” lol.) Meghan was probably like, I’m wearing the button down and blazer today, find something else, ha.

  10. megs283 says:

    I need to strive to be 1/10th as amazing (no sarcasm). That’s wonderful!!

  11. AnnaKist says:

    I make banana bread for family and friends, but don’t like it. Now, if we’re talking about a good, old-fashioned banana cake with passionfruit icing, that’s another story… I’m loving those big pockets on her blazer! I love pockets.

    • Kristen820 says:

      I loathe bananas (and banana bread), but PLEASE teach me how to make passion fruit icing!?!

      • antipodean says:

        I don’t want to barge in unwanted @AnnaKist, but I make Passion Fruit icing by adding the contents of one or two passion fruit to a plain vanilla icing, and letting the flavours imbue before putting it on the banana cake. It was a favourite when we were kids, and a cake would disappear inside of a day of being baked. I wonder if your method is the same?
        My mother always used to say that one never visits another person’s house without taking something with you. If you made it yourself, that was even better. It sounds to me that Meghan was brought up the same way, and wanted to contribute to the “ladies bring a plate” invite that we used to get for a morning tea/lunch/dinner. Only polite to do so, especially Downunder.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Pumpkin quick bread is also great with dark chocolate chips, if that is one you might like better. Although pumpkin is completely overdone and in everything this time of year.

    • AnnaKist says:

      Hi, antipodean. Are you talking about the ready-made icing, such as the Betty Crocker tub? That’s a great idea!
      Kristen: Here’s what I do:
      Put 2.5 cups sifted icing (powdered) sugar in a medium mixing bowl.
      Add the flesh of 2-3 passionfruit, along with a Tablespoon of soft butter.
      Start mixing.
      Depending on how juicy the passionfruit is, you might be lucky enough to get the right consistency first go.
      If it’s too dry, add 1/2 teaspoon hot water at a time, mixing between additions, until you’re satisfied with the consistency.
      If the icing is to runny, add a bit more icing sugar.
      I always use a Bundt or ring pan for my banana cake. It’s so much easier to share out. The cake looks great if the icing drips over the sides a bit.
      Sometimes, I can’t get passionfruit, so I flavour the icing with lemon rind and lemon juice, using the same technique. That’s lovely, too.

      • Kristen820 says:

        Thank you, Everyone!!!

      • Betsy says:

        I don’t think I’ve ever seen passionfruit at the store and I wouldn’t trust that it had any flavor if I did (the upper Midwest is a great place to live, but tropical fruits are not a speciality obv). I have a friend who makes a lovely passionfruit curd with frozen passionfruit or the nectar.

        The frosting sounds lovely.

      • antipodean says:

        Hi Annakist, and Kristen820, just got back to this thread today, sorry for the delay in replying to you. I do make my icing the old fashioned way, as my Mum taught me, exactly the same as you describe, with icing sugar, butter, and a wee drop of boiling water, but I also use the ready made tinned frosting as well, when I’m feeling a bit lazy. Both are excellent, and adding the extra flavour of passion fruit, or lemon, as you suggest, is what really perks it up. I have been known to add a little rum essence, which is also delicious with the banana flavour. I don’t bake as much as I used to, I am an empty nester, and miss all the hungry mouths I enjoyed making tasty treats for. Talk of baking takes me back to a very happy time.

  12. p says:

    I love how she is holding the umbrella for him 🙂

    • PrincessK says:

      Oh yes, wasn’t it just wonderful! A dignatory offered to shield Harry with his umbrella, but Harry did not want him to get soaking wet and said my wife will do it for me. She is so tiny it was easy for them to share the same umbrella. The dignatory was a big man and would have got wet.

  13. Chef Grace says:

    Always roast the bananas and nuts for the bread. Place a pan of water on a lower oven rack while baking.

    • Anastasia says:

      Roast the bananas? I do toast the walnuts, but I never heard of roasting bananas in the oven.

      • duchess of hazard says:

        @anastasia – I think the heat makes the bananas caramalise (aka, gets sweeter) and thickens it for a better texture. I just use really over ripe bananas.

    • Christina says:

      Chef Grace, thank you!!! I’m going to try both.

    • notasugarhere says:

      I’ve never heard of it either. Out of the peel I’m guessing, not in jacket like potatoes.

  14. jessamine says:

    Banana bread is easy, very forgiving (King Arthur has one of my favorite recipes but there are many others), and super hard to overbake. Also it is usually best the next day and keeps very well — she might have baked it in Australia or maybe she baked it at home and brought it with her? *I don’t know if you can randomly bring baked goods in to the country.

    • Peg says:

      She baked it in Australia.
      Aussies can answer this better, bringing in baked goods with milk???

      • Ange says:

        Nah I doubt she’d have been allowed to bring it in, we’re pretty strict but she definitely baked it here anyway.

      • MB says:

        Here you go:

        Cooked cakes, including cakes containing custard or dairy based fillings that have been cooked with the cake (excluding cheesecakes, mooncakes, dairy puddings, vanilla slices or Dulce de Leche), bread and shelf stable biscuits are allowed into Australia as part of your personal baggage from any country provided the items do not require refrigeration to maintain quality. Items that do not meet these import conditions must be re-exported from Australia or destroyed. Re-export of the items must be paid for by the importer.

        So she baked it in Australia, as im assuming it would have required some degree of refrigeration to still be fresh several days after departing the UK.

        So yeah…She is pretty much perfect.

    • Ponytail says:

      I use a recipe I found in the Sophie Dahl cookbook. I never liked banana bread before, but oh my, this is a perfect recipe. Always moist, and when I feel fancy, I put it in little individual loaf tins, so each portion looks like a mini loaf of bread.
      Never heard of putting nuts or chocolate chips in though – my recipe stands as is, no extras needed.

    • gingersnaps says:

      She baked it the previous night in the kitchen at Admiralty House.

  15. Lumbina says:

    Doria ought to raise everyone.

    • duchess of hazard says:

      @Lumbina – for real. Meghan has such excellent emotional IQ and soft skills. I’m hella impressed. I can see why Harry loves his mother in law very much.

    • ZigZags says:

      Truth! She can start with me. 😂

      • Lumbina says:

        And me! My first reaction to this was shame that I go to such little effort myself on this front. It’s so easy to get lazy on these gestures. Need to pull my socks up!

    • JennyJenny says:

      Can Doria go spend some time in DC perhaps???

  16. TheOriginalMia says:

    That was a really nice gesture. She did her mom proud.

    I’m still a big fan of her outfit. Loved everything. Comfortable and classic. The pictures of them huddled under the umbrella are extremely cute.

    When they said they make a great team, they were right. Team Sussex rocks!

  17. CharlotteSometimes says:

    Miracle Meg! So funny! Celebitchy’s adulation of this woman is bizarre. I just don’t see her as anything more than another very pretty woman who married well. She’s old enough to have been involved in a lot of causes- yet I don’t know of any she has championed. She was an actress with a lifestyle blog, who, by her own admission, grew up a Californian girl who enjoyed yoga and traveling. It’s kind of…. basic. And now we’re worshipping at her altar…. Jolie, I get. She’s been in the trenches for what she believes in. MM, not so much.

    • Megan says:

      You need to google and research more, she had done alot of charity while being an actress.

    • Avisitor says:

      This. Done and dusted.

    • jessamine says:

      The moniker is tongue-in-cheek … but surely, in these troubled times, the CB community has enough adulation to go around to all the bright spots we can find?

    • Lala11_7 says:

      How about you read up on her life…then you would KNOW what causes she has ALWAYS championed…since SHE WAS A CHILD…and you wouldn’t have to come on CB and make asinine statements…One doesn’t have to…”get in the trenches” as you say…to be a social champion….

    • gingersnaps says:

      I think it was meant to be in a lighthearted manner. Yes, some people have experienced far worse than her and done more for others but Meghan is doing right in her position. She’s doing great at the moment even with all the negativity that a lot of people are throwing at her. She could have chosen to hide and use the excuse of not being prepared and so on yet she’s jump head first and shown that she is willing to work for the monarchy even if people will find ways to unfairly criticise her just for living.

    • JadedBrit says:

      Oh Lord, you again. Do you come to CB specifically to do the Duchess down? Given your comments yesterday, it certainly seems like it.

    • lobbit says:

      So you’re going to do this every day, huh? OK.

    • Jan says:

      Let me guess, your last name happens to be Markle.

    • Merrit says:

      I’m with you, Charlotte. So strange the worship of this woman who clearly lives the spotlight and plays PR games. People here and her gans seek to think she’s going to change the world, reinvent the monarchy, when really she’s no different than others with her out of control spending and PR games.

    • ByTheSea says:

      It’s called a “joke.” Lighten up. Clearly no one thinks Meghan literally brought rain, etc. It was a light-hearted comment.

    • Mich says:

      And you are old enough to have at least googled her before saying she has never been involved in any good causes. Since you don’t seem to know how to do that, I’ll help you out.

      “Markle was a counselor for international charity One Young World. She attended its 2014 and 2016 summits. At the 2014 summit in Dublin, she spoke on the topics of gender equality and modern-day slavery. Also in 2014, she traveled to Afghanistan and Spain as part of the United Service Organizations Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Holiday Tour.

      In 2016, Markle became a global ambassador for World Vision Canada, traveling to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign, the agency’s campaign to provide safe, clean drinking water, and she traveled to India to raise awareness of issues concerning women. Upon returning from India, she penned an op-ed for Time magazine concerning stigmatization of women in regard to menstrual health. She has also worked with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women as an Advocate.”

    • IlsaLund says:

      Why does it seem to cause some folks so much heartburn and misery that Meghan has fans that like and support her? I empathize with Meghan cause it certainly isn’t easy being in the spotlight like she is and having your every move and action watched and critiqued to death. Why not just have no comment or not read Meghan posts if she bothers you that much.

      • Nic919 says:

        I didn’t think a thoughtful gesture of bringing a banana bread to a family’s home could be turned into another bitter fest but I guess it has. We should probably also check if the bananas were organic and rip her if they weren’t and then accuse her of only using gourmet ingredients that cost the taxpayers too much. Oh and using more electricity than she should for daring to use the oven.

        There are many things to criticize about monarchy, patriarchy, cost of the royals, colonialism, etc. But to criticize this gesture is a new low and says a lot about the people rushing in to support it.

      • Becks1 says:

        @Nic919 right? It was a thoughtful gesture and a sweet thought on Meghan’s part. Many of us are excited because it is something unexpected and fun. The fact that so many people are hating on it is just unbelievable.

        AND I’LL SAY IT. Meanwhile Kate walks out a hospital door in heels for 5 minutes and people cannot praise her enough.

    • PrincessK says:

      @Charlottesometimes….I don’t think that you have really followed Meghan’s path into the RF, and you have not understood her personality. Even though we are on the outside we can appreciate how much she has done using her intelligence, warmth and charisma to achieve so much goodwill in such a short space of time.

    • bonobochick says:

      @CharlotteSometimes

      Maybe it isn’t about adulation and more about just not being racist nor employing microaggressions towards her for no reason. Maybe it is about appreciating seeing someone who seems to trying to do her new job properly and with some graciousness. It really isn’t that deep to foam at the mouth over.

      If it bothers you so much to see people say positive things about her, skip the articles about Duchess Meghan. I skip the Kardashian articles cause I don’t care and am not a fan. Saves myself from being irritated. Why piss on everyone else’s joy when it’s just as easy to save yourself the frustration and not bother to click on Duchess Meghan articles?

      • Mego says:

        Well said. Horrible Piers Morgan accused her of “acting” as in she is fake but I see it a different way. For the royal family to go out and meet the public, tour etc they are acting as ambassadors for Briton. There is a certain degree of acting required to do this. You dress appropriately, you convey warmth, you are “on” even if might not be feeling very “on” because you have an important job to do. This is where, imo, these two people are killing it and bringing their A game to every engagement. I have nothing but respect for that.

    • Clementine says:

      If you don’t know of any causes she has championed…that is your fault for not being able to perform basic research.

  18. Megan says:

    I think it was sweet. She was going with Harry to the home of a farmer to talk about the drought and challenges to farmers mental health in rural Australia. The family put on a refreshment table, and she contributed. It’s actually really lovely and considerate.

  19. Beth says:

    I hate cooking and baking, but I make banana bread because it’s incredibly easy, but I never had it with chocolate chips, I make mine with walnuts.
    It was nice of her to bake the treat to bring. Is it a recipe in her new cookbook? She recently came out with a cookbook, so it makes sense that she’d bring something home cooked

    • Lady D says:

      Try a bag of crushed Skor pieces on top of your banana bread before you bake it. It melts a bit and creates a crunchy toffee coating on the top of your bread. You can find them where chocolate chips are sold. It’s really good.

  20. gingersnaps says:

    Banana bread is easy to make but I agree that it can be quite tricky to get it right. I’ve use recipes that are dairy free and egg free as my son is allergic to both of those but I’ve also successfully made one with eggs, sour cream (recipe called for creme fraiche but didn’t have one on hand so swapped it with that) and it turned out great. It’s a great gesture to do. Baking is one of the ways that I decompress/destress as I find it very therapeutic, maybe Meghan is the same.

  21. Snowflake says:

    I love banana bread

  22. Mabs A'Mabbin says:

    Okay now I’m craving fresh banana bread. Hot. Semi-crispy sweet edges. Piping hot fluffy and slightly dense interior. Small Pat of real butter melting into baked heaven. Mmmmmmmm.

  23. Linda says:

    Meghan baked break for all the folks. What. Is she Jesus now and fed the crowd with a loaf of bread. Seriously banana bread is not bread. It is a loaf that is extremely easy to make

    • Lumbina says:

      Even easier not to bother making.

      It’s the gesture. She made an effort to personally contribute to her hosts.

    • Jessica says:

      No one is suggesting it’s the most difficult thing to make of all time, it was the gesture. I’ve never heard of a royal or First Lady making a cupcake, dessert, etc. for members of the public.

    • Peg says:

      They visited a farm, this is where she took the banana bread, for the family.
      There was also a barbecue put on by the folks of Dubbo, to welcome them.

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      FFS, she was being a gracious guest – its called manners. Plus its something that would have meant A LOT to the people who were there.

  24. Jessica says:

    She is so impressive! Everything she does highlights how lame and inadequate the Cambridge’s are. I think she’s really inspiring.

  25. Darby says:

    Well of course it has a little ginger in it! We all wanted a Ginger in us but of course Meg got him 😉

    • Becks1 says:

      HAHAHA love it.

    • Jan90067 says:

      😂😂😂 👏🏻. Oh yeah! lol. LOVE this comment!

    • PrincessK says:

      Well now since we are talking about Harry I am very surprised that nobody mentioned a couple of incidents that happened on the first day.

      When they were given their very first baby gifts, Harry went red in the face, and looked so embarrassed. Meghan took it all in her stride. I think that it hasn’t quite sunken in that he has planted his seed in the women he loves and it has germinated.

      In the evening when Harry made a small speech, he was uncharacteristically nervous and stumbled over his words, and couldn’t quite find or get out the right words to say how happy he was to be able to announce in Australia that he wife was pregnant. It was so funny to see the usually very confident Harry so very nervous.

      It was reported on the first day in the Daily Fail that a ‘source’ said that Harry has been an “emotional wreck”, in the nicest possible way since he knew he was going to be a Dad, and it all has to do with him being very protective of Meghan. For a change this information somehow has the ring of truth. Harry is deeply in love with Meghan, she has filled a big gap in his love and he wants to keep her safe, …..and now there is a baby to consider. It is going to be interesting to see how Harry handles all of this. The spotlight on them has been intense for the past two years and now it is going to be red hot. This couple are not going to be knocked off the top spot in the RF for a long time.

  26. JadedBrit says:

    I think the main difference between Harry and Meghan, and his father and Diana as a couple is that Charles was irritated by Diana’s celebrity and the adoration she attracted; Harry, on the other hand, seems to absolutely adore the attention given to his wife. Look, didn’t I make the best choice in the whole world? his body language seems to say.

    • Becks1 says:

      I agree! He seems so proud of her when she gets the spotlight. His body language at the cookbook launch said it all.

      • OriginalLala says:

        his body language when meeting people with Meg also shows that he is comfortable with her celebrity. He often literally steps back behind her body when she talks to people. its cute, my hubby (also a Ginge!) does this with me 🙂

    • ValiantlyVarnished says:

      Agreed. But I also think the main difference is that Harry genuinely loves her and is in awe of her. Charles never loved Diana. Harry has a genuine respect for Meghan and who she is and it shows.

    • PrincessK says:

      Diana was 17 years younger than Meghan when she was thrown into the spotlight and did not have the knowledge or experience. Meghan is hugely popular but they work the crowds and events as a very close team, which is the big difference. They are hardly ever separated at events. Harry is always darting over to her. The public are adoring them as a unit together. Meghan encourages Harry all the time and vice versa.

      This never happened with Charles and Diana. She was too young to know how to involve her husband in the adulation she was getting and Charles because of his upbringing didn’t know how to embrace the situation. i can’t blame either of them. All I know is that Diana would be beaming from ear to ear if should could see the way Harry and Meghan work together as a happy unified team!

  27. lobbit says:

    That’s freaking adorable.

  28. Merrit says:

    God this just screams PR. Also, Kaiser please keep writing the Meg articles! You’re hilarious.

    • ValiantlyVarnished says:

      This whole trip is PR. So what’s your point?

    • lobbit says:

      Everything the royals do – from the Queen and down the line – is PR. This is no different. It also happens to be a lovely gesture.

    • Jan says:

      Not really, it screams her mother raised her right. Where I come from we wouldn’t dream of going to someone’s home without bringing something.

      • notasugarhere says:

        ^This. Particularly someone who is currently in need of something kind.

      • MeghanNotMarkle says:

        Absolutely, Jan. I’d never be caught empty handed when visiting someone else’s home, especially if there’s already food involved. A bottle of wine wouldn’t be appropriate here but a loaf of banana bread? Perfect.

  29. ValiantlyVarnished says:

    That pic of her holding the umbrella for him. 😍

    • IlsaLund says:

      Yes…that pic is too cute. They said in their engagement video they were going to work as a team and they certainly appear to be doing that….working together and supporting one another.

  30. Amelie says:

    Omg Kaiser banana bread is one of the easiest things to make, seriously, and I am not much of a cook. You just need ripe bananas (not super ripe) and whatever else the recipe asks for and you can put in chocolate chips or nuts if you want, your preference. And even if the measurements are different in Australia (I think they use grams over there?) it’s really not hard to use google to convert the measurements. I do it all the time because whenever my French dad gives me a recipe for a cake, he gives it to me in grams since it’s typically my grandmother’s recipe.

    In fact if anyone is looking for a good gluten free banana bread recipe, try this one. It is SO moist and all you need to do is buy the Red Mill gluten free flour (available at any grocery store) to swap out, it doesn’t ask for anything of those weird ingredients like xantham gum (whatever that is) or multiple types of flours like rice flour or corn flour. I tried this one because my sister has Celiac’s and she cannot consume anything with gluten in it. I always add chocolate chips. It’s SO rich but SO good: https://gimmedelicious.com/2014/12/14/the-best-ever-super-moist-gluten-free-banana-bread/

  31. annna says:

    banana bread isn’t actually bread, it’s cake and very easy to make. All those cakes made by the CWA look delicious. Nobody does cakes like the CWA does.

  32. Abby says:

    LOL! This is so sweet. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard of a royal bringing ANYTHING to meet ANYONE. I have to give her props for that. Such a kind gesture.

    I agree with the commenter above–I love seeing how Harry is just like “Isn’t she amazing? Look at her!” Just love it.

    I love her holding the umbrella for his speech too. It’s like, normal newlywed amongst all this hoopla.

  33. Pandy says:

    Well, it’s nice that she brought BB to the lunch. Certainly not the “royal” way! So that’s nice … but I have to say, I kind of hate the way she clings onto Harry in some pix … nothing against hand holding but holding hands then hanging onto his arm seems clingy. But whatever.

    • Ashby says:

      @ Pandy

      Clingy????? Wow.
      My goodness, they are newly weds!
      They are expecting their first child.
      They seem to be very much in love.
      Is it so hard to understand?

      • Pandy says:

        Well, I said clingy but I was thinking more like a death grip on his arm. It’s a tad odd while in public and she’s held on like that before. Just my thoughts.

    • SpillDatT says:

      Pandy,

      Gotta agree with you on that grip. It’s very weird to me and always seems tryhard on people’s part. It always reads a tad showy to me, too over attached or something, I can’t fully explain it.

      And no this this NOT just my opinion for Meghan & Harry specifically, I find it strange for any couple, royal, celeb or regular people all give me a weird vibe when they clutch at their partner is a grabby way. Not a loving grasp, but like a death grip. I can’t help but notice it when I look at photos.

  34. Mego says:

    These two are so sweet together. I love how they are kind to each other as in her holding the umbrella. An excellent model of how married couples should treat each other.

  35. Ceecu says:

    She’s my hero. I adore them as a couple. Their love gives you hope that real love still exists.

  36. booboocita says:

    And in a day or two, we should hear all about how crazy Sammy taught Meghan how to bake, and that’s Sammy’s banana bread recipe, and Meghan never bakes for their father …

  37. Jan says:

    Wow, she does something polite and gracious for her hosts and people still find a reason to dump all over her? And to accuse her of lying about making the bread? Wow. The microaggressions keep on coming…

    • IlsaLund says:

      IKR??? What is wrong with people to criticize such a harmless jester. Given the shit show that’s going on the world right now, I need a little mindless escapism and I enjoy reading about Harry and Meghan. So sue me for being a fan….

    • Belluga says:

      Don’t you see? If you hate her, but she does something nice, all you have to do is say it was for PR or fake or not that nice anyway! Always assume that she only ever does good things for Machiavellian and you’ve guaranteed that you win and she never can!

      And whatever you do, don’t ever commit to saying that her doing something would be good. You run the risk of her doing it and you having to admit that she did a good thing. Never, ever allow her that window.

  38. Helen says:

    I never understood why banana cake is referred to as banana bread lol

    • Beth says:

      I never thought about that, but it could be because it’s cooked in a bread tin, and sliced like a loaf of bread. No matter what it’s called, I love banana bread/cake

  39. Vanessa says:

    We all know that if kate would have done this her fans would be raving about this to the end of time why does it bother people so much that meghan has people who like her so much why are you so pressed about? kaiser makes a joke about the rain you guys losing your mind calling meghan fans names. You really need to asked yourself what is bother you guys so much that a black woman is getting praised is annoying you guys so much that you guys have to be nasty and petty are looking for reasons to trash her and that this sites and her fans. Did you ever think maybe you have some racially bias against her that why you guys are going so hard to find any way to insult her for no other reason and that’s why you guys are being so bitches nasty for no reason. Consider that one of you started the nastiness on the last thread and then tried to say this site is no longer friendly even though you were the one going up and down on the thread being nasty towards meghan and people were just defendant her. This article was light and fluffy you guys are the ones who are turning Being rude and nasty for no another reason then the fact that you hated meghan I think it has more to do with your own insecure happy people don’t feel the need to tear down another for no reason.

  40. Nicole says:

    Favorite recipe for Banana nut bread/loaf:
    Ingredients:
    3 very ripe bananas, mashed
    3/4 cup granulated sugar
    1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
    1/2 cup vegetable oil
    2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
    1/2 cup sour cream
    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    Grated zest of 1 orange/ you can add ginger
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
    1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)—I put a 1/4 cup walnuts and 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
    Then you need a 9 by 2 inch round baking tin.
    Set oven to 350. First mix all ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth EXCEPT put salt baking soda and flour in separate bowl and then add to your mix of other items and stir in walnuts and chocolate chips. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Use toothpick to see if it’s done. You can also make a cream cheese frosting for it if you are feeling peckish and just want the full experience!

    Happy Baking! I am a fairly newlywed. Got married November 2016. I just love how romantic these two are but also most importantly that they are clearly best friends and a team. That’s why I fell I love with my hubby. He is my best friend.

  41. NYC_girl says:

    I have to admit I have been wondering about the idolatry and also how their every move and clothing choice is over-analysed. I am totally into the dresses and shoes and hats but…. They are charming but besides her cookbook, I don’t see these two and the RF in general as accomplishing much (minus Invictus). When they get involved with cancer research I will be impressed. I lived in London briefly w my Brit boyfriend of many years and I LOVED it there and have no issues w the RF. I was more upset when we broke up that I had to come back to NYC instead of the actual breakup. I DO love the pissy comments interspersed in this thread with banana bread recipes. I had a crap day and it is making me smile.

  42. FicusFan says:

    I use a bread tin, pecans instead of walnuts, caramel chips and a shot of rum.🎃

  43. Charfromdarock says:

    Such a sweet gesture!

  44. CocoNoir says:

    I was very impressed by what she said about bringing a gift to someone’s home. This shows she’s considerate. Her narcissistic relatives had nothing to do with that. They would not have taught her the importance of being considerate to others because they can’t be like that themselves. Ns are only interested in guilt and shaming. They only attack after “something” happens.

    I can’t have gluten so I make banana bread as a microwaveable mug cake. One ripe banana, 2 tablespoons almond flour, baking powder or egg or both, about 4 tablespoons of almond milk or coconut milk. Pecan nuts or walnuts. 2 teaspoons oil of your choice olive or coconut. Mash well, stir or whip and pop into the microwave for 2 minutes. Oil helps to keep the moisture in the cake as the microwave heat is very dry and will dehydrate it very much. Whipping gets more into the mixture and cause it to rise more.

    • NYC_girl says:

      @Coconoir – try King Arthur Flour’s GF flour mix. My bf has celiac disease and I made her a bday cake w it and it was really good.

    • MeghanNotMarkle says:

      Coconoir I bake almost exclusively from two gluten free blogs: Gluten Free On A Shoestrinfg and Faithfully Gluten Free (she’s from a Mennonite family so you know she’s legit). Making your own all-purpose flour blend is so easy and allows full control over your ingredients. Many pre-packaged blends are unbalanced and really grainy or starchy. Making your own flour blends is also much cheaper!

    • JadedBrit says:

      @CocoN I can’t have gluten either. On the back of Meghanspiration, I hunted out a recipe that could be readily adapted to GF. And I literally took it out of the oven 15 minutes ago and it’s FABULOUS. Just swap flour for GF flour, same quantities – either use self raising or sieve it 5 times at least… https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2249656/brilliant-banana-loaf

  45. wha1ever says:

    Well, at least Meghan can now have a food nickname just like Kate. Banana bread Meghan to go with Chutney Kate.

  46. jwoolman says:

    This all reminds me of an incident in grad school way back in the 1970s, when we couldn’t just google on our non-existent cell phones to solve mysteries.

    My roommate decided to make banana bread. We didn’t have nuts but we did have some sunflower seeds, so she used those. Let’s just say that sunflower seeds were not part of my childhood… Neither was banana bread or baking anything that didn’t come sliced out of a tube.

    When it was baked, it smelled great but was dotted with little blobs of green around the sunflower seeds. We stared at it for a while, turning it this way and that. It smelled ok so my roommate was finally brave enough to try it. She said it tasted fine also, so I tried it myself. At least it wasn’t moldy. I’m sensitive to mold and would have picked that up. We had no trouble finishing the loaf.

    Found out years later that sunflower seeds leach out a green colored substance under alkaline conditions. I’ve seen them even just turn water drops green if left by themselves on a plate. Harmless, but it baffled two physics Ph.D. students at the time. My roommate was a theorist, but as an experimentalist who was also a chemist, I had fewer excuses.

    Seems this property of sunflower seeds could be put to good use in Halloween recipes, though.

  47. Doomsday Colt says:

    Can’t believe all you so called progressives are showering these entitled parasites with servile flattery.

    • Nic919 says:

      I know you used your alottment of ten dollar words today, but progressives are politically aligned with republicanism whereas conservatives support the monarchy. And some people aren’t aligned with either and can acknowledge a considerate act. If you are going to slag people at least understand the concepts you are using.

      There is no social cost to acknowledging a thoughtful act. It’s called human decency.

  48. In the Know says:

    Nikki Priddy, Scamantha, all the bad Markles, eat your hearts out! That’s how you live your best life. Shake of the dross and glow, quite literally!

  49. Rhys says:

    It’s fine if she didn’t bake it. She is representing a country and has a team to help her make a good impression. Don’t see anything wrong with it!

  50. Wallis says:

    Whatever works to make a good impression! I applaud her thinking through the details. Some royals never bother.

  51. burdzeyeview says:

    I think its really sweet and we all need a bit more sweetness in the world.