Royal fans question timing as Meghan Markle reveals scone preference hours after William interview

The accompanying video showed a generous portion of cream atop a halved scone, with the Duchess of Sussex's raspberry spread.

The caption read: "Memorial weekend plans. Baking warm scones topped with our Strawberry or Raspberry Spread, Orange Blossom Honey, and Flower Sprinkles."

The recipe called for flour, cold butter, coconut sugar or regular sugar, an egg, heavy cream, baking powder, salt, raw cream, and the As Ever Strawberry Spread, Orange Blossom Honey and Flower Sprinkles.

The timing proved notable, arriving mere hours after Prince William had publicly declared the same preference.

Speaking to Heart FM presenters Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden on Friday, the Prince of Wales settled a longstanding question about royal scone etiquette.

"I love that I'm the authority on scones. I can only tell you what I learned from my grandmother, and she would definitely, she would have the cream on first," William revealed.

The admission overturned a widely held belief about the late monarch's preferences. Royal observers had long assumed Queen Elizabeth II favoured jam as the base layer, given this was how her chefs prepared scones for Buckingham Palace garden parties.

William diplomatically added: "It tastes delicious either way."

One fan wrote on X: "Isn’t it ironic? Prince William went on an interview and divulged how he takes his scones-clotted cream then jam - and that he learned it from his Grandmother.

"Guess who posts a video the NEXT DAY showing scones clotted cream first, then jam? There are no coincidences."

Another said: "William gives a speech on how the queen liked her scones..what comes first, clotted cream or jam and all of a sudden Meghan puts this up on Instagram."

However, some defended Meghan, with one writing: "Meghan is not obsessed with William and I’m sure she had no idea he’d said something about scones. Coincidences do happen you know!"

The cream-versus-jam dispute divides the nation along county lines. Devonians insist cream should form the foundation, whilst those from Cornwall maintain jam must come first.

Presenter Ms Holden, siding with Devon, explained her reasoning to William: "I put the clotted cream on first, everyone in Devon is cheering. And then I put the jam on the top. I do that because I think having cream on first is more grippy than jam."

Yet William's account contradicts the testimony of Darren McGrady, who served as royal chef at Buckingham Palace for 11 years. Mr McGrady stated in 2018 that jam came first at the Palace's garden parties.

King Charles himself appears to favour the opposing method. During a visit to the Royal Cornwall Show in 2018, the monarch spotted a young boy eating his scone the Devonian way and enquired: "Have you got that the right way round?"

Scones hold a cherished place in royal entertaining. The baked treats featured among the desserts at King Charles and Queen Camilla's 2005 wedding reception, served alongside glazed fudge and strawberry tartlets.

Guests at that celebration also enjoyed sandwiches filled with smoked salmon, potted shrimp and roast venison, cementing the scone's status as a fixture of formal royal occasions.