Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have had a whirlwind romance occur over the past two years. After dating for only 17 months, Harry proposed at their shared cottage at Kensington Palace with an engagement ring that combined diamonds from Botswana and also from the personal jewelry collection of his late mother, Princess Diana. But what does Harry now make of the relationship? He is, after all, the fifth in line to the British throne, so choosing a future wife is an important and serious decision.
The Prince, who is well-known for his previous wild nights out during his younger years, has been limited in exactly how much he reveals to the press. However, now that Meghan is duchess, it seems everyone has their eyes on her 24/7. This means, people have used a significant amount of resources to look into her past. In fact, her checkered past speaks volumes, and it's because of this that she seems more and more unfit for the royal family with every scandal that turns up. Take a look for yourself, and decide whether she's fit to wear the royal family name.
Her Family Situation Is Full Of Drama That Could Ruin The Royal Family Image
Since the engagement of Harry and Meghan, her estranged family has taken this time to expose Meghan to the press. Her estranged sister, Samantha Grant, has called her a "social climber." The 53-year old has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair. She's also writing a memoir entitled, The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister. Her half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr. has written to InTouch, saying that Meghan is a, "jaded, shallow, conceited woman that will make a joke of you and the royal family heritage." The biggest scandal involving Meghan's family has been her father, Thomas Markle Sr., who has been making non-stop headlines over the past few weeks. When Meghan was younger, it was said that her and her father's relationship had been described as estranged.
Recently, it was said that Meghan and her father were "in a good place." Kensington Palace even announced that Thomas would be walking her down the aisle. However, as the days went by, photos began popping up in the press of Thomas that seemed....a little too perfect. There were images of him reading a photo book about the U.K., pictures of him getting fitted for suits, photos of him going to the gym, and then photos of him looking up Meghan and Prince Harry at an Internet cafe. It was discovered soon after that Thomas had staged these photos with a photo agency, and that he was getting paid for them. After this news broke, he told TMZ that he would no longer be attending the wedding in fear of embarrassing Meghan....YIIIKES!
Friends Believe Meghan Markle Manipulated The Entire Relationship
Meghan's former friend, named Nina Priddy has come to the press and admitted that Markle was "incredibly calculated" in the way she handled people and that she, "always wanted to be famous." In fact, she revealed that even before Markle met Prince Harry, Priddy claimed that she saw that Markle had a book about his mother, Princess Diana, on her home bookshelf, and that she had an intense fascination with England.
The ex-bestie also noted that she had a great fondness for The Princess Diaries, which for those who haven't seen the franchise, revolves around a commoner who becomes part of a royal family. It was revealed that in fact, Markle only launched her acting career after her father, Thomas Markle Sr., worked as a lighting director on the TV show Married with Children.
She Wrote A Hollywood Diary To Air Out Her Dirty Laundry
It was revealed that Meghan Markle was the author of a very racy and anonymous Hollywood diary blog that ran from 2010 to 2012. She wrote under the alias, "The Working Actress," and she discussed everything from dealing with her tough directors, to her "bitchy" acting rivals.
During one blog post, she reveals that she was "treated like sh** on a set" and had to "kiss actors with smelly breath." Hope she doesn't start a blog and talk like this about her new royal family!
She Left Her Ex-Husband In a Heartless Manner
Andrew Morton, also known as Princess Diana's biographer, revealed that Markle ended her first marriage quite abruptly, leaving her husband at the time, Trevor Engelson, confused and heartbroken. Prince Harry's now-wife, began dating producer Engelson after they flirted at a dive bar.
During this time, Markle was apparently a wannabe actress working on Deal Or No Deal. Once she got her role in Suits, "Trevor went from cherishing Meghan to 'feeling like he was a piece of something stuck to the bottom of her shoe."
There Could Be Naked Photos and Videos Floating Around The Internet of Her
A sleazy website that claims they are linked to ISIS recently uploaded a video onto their site claiming it was Meghan Markle topless. It's an 11 second clip that apparently shows the duchess showing off her chest while on vacation.
There are also nude photos of the actress on the site as well. Although Kensington Palace has said the images are "fake." A source close to her has insisted that, "this video of Meghan and the other photos of her are totally genuine."
Other Royals Don’t Seem To Respect Her
During the height of Harry and Meghan's romance, Meghan Markle attended the queen's annual Christmas lunch on Wednesday, which is where she met one of her soon to be royal relatives who came under fire for an accessory that was very controversial. The Princess Michael of Kent, the wife of Queen's first cousin Prince Michael of Kent was seen at Buckingham Palace wearing a "blackamoor" jewelry piece which is the bust of a black person along with a gold crown and crystals.
The reason this piece caused such a ruckus was because, "Blackamoor" is a genre of art believed to have originated in the 16th century Venice that often is described for depicting racist, exorcized imager of black servants and enslaved people. Of course, the media took this as a sign that this was a nudge towards Meghan's black-biracial background. Seeing as she wore it to meet Markle was just an incredibly awkward situation overall.
She Doesn’t Get Royal Etiquette
Meghan hasn't always stuck to strict Royal traditions and she might be the first to step out with bare legs. We're not quite sure what Harry made of his fiancee's bald decision to wear an above the knee dress, strappy heels and legs without stockings - but it was probably mentioned behind closed doors. Especially as this was their first photo call following their engagement announcement.
Royal expert Victoria Arbiter told INSIDER, "You never see a royal without their nude stockings. Meghan, from what I can see from the engagement photographs, it doesn't look like she was wearing tights or stockings." "I would say that's really the only hard, steadfast rule in terms of what the Queen requires." In the freezing British weather, we're surprised Meghan isn't desperate for the extra layer of clothing.
She Needs To Refrain From PDA
You wouldn't catch Kate Middleton and Prince William hand holding or enjoying a cuddle together but once again, Meghan doesn't seem to care for Royal etiquette. The reason why the older Royals choose not to show any PDA is that they are "working representatives of British Monarchy" and in public they are technically at work. Public outings should be kept professional and their personal lives shouldn't crossover.
Royal expert Myka Meier told People, "The likely reasoning is more that while (Kate and Wills are) traveling on a tour such as the India trip, technically the couple are working representatives of British Monarchy." "The couple is likely to show very little PDA, if any, to remain professional during their designated roles abroad." If Meghan wants royalty to become her full-time job then it's best she learns etiquette quite fast.
Meghan Claims That’s Her Personality
Meghan is absolutely besotted with her future husband and couldn't help gushing about him to Vanity Fair magazine. She told Vanity Fair, "We’re a couple. We’re in love. Personally, I love a great love story." Harry, however, is more traditional in his approach to romance and prefers to keep his feelings tightly under wraps.
It seems like she can't keep her hands off him and he may be thinking in his head 'calm down the PDA.' She might have been listening to her close friend and tennis superstar, Serena Williams, who told her just to be herself. Serena revealed to People, "Her personality just shines. 'I told her, ‘You’ve got to be who you are, Meghan. You can’t hide.’" Except it turns out Meghan's real personality is one who can't keep her hands off her man.
Harry Pushed Her Hand Away
During a public appearance in London, the normally poised and perfect couple stepped out their vehicle and she appeared to reach for his hand - only to be pushed away. Maybe there were some harsh words exchanged in the car but things looked like the honeymoon was over before it had even begun. The media weren't surrounding the couple as they normally do at this moment, so it's likely Harry thought he got away with this not going public.
Even if Harry didn't appear too enthusiastic, the radio host they were heading to meet certainly couldn't hide his joy. Henrie Kwushue, who presents Reprezent FM that teaches media and employment skills to young people, told the Daily Star, "I absolutely love the royals, it’s ridiculous. The fact they’re coming here, they’re interested in diversity, they’re interested in what we have to say."
She Came Even Though She Wasn’t Invited
In 2010, Kate Middleton was not allowed to attend the Queen's holiday festivities even though she was engaged to Prince William at the time. The Royal tradition is that fiancees are not invited to the celebrations but Meghan decided she would head along anyway. We think Harry's face says it all in this one.
According to Meghan's childhood friend, Ninaki Priddy, the actress has always had a fascination with the Royals. The former BFF told the Daily Mail, "I know the Royal Family was something she found fascinating. She had one of Princess Diana’s books (Diana: Her True Story) on her bookshelf and she told me she wanted to go and stay in London for at least a month." Looks like she certainly got her wish during Christmas with the Queen.
She Keeps Breaking Royal Protocol
When a 10-year-old fan made her way over to Meghan to say she wanted to be an actress just like her idol, the young girl got a huge and unexpected hug from Meghan. Harry went to clutch his heart probably because he couldn't believe his future wife would openly hug a member of the public.
Once again, Meghan had broken Royal protocol as the more traditional greeting would be a formal handshake. Even though Meghan looks like she is really trying hard to win over the British public, not everyone is buying it. Local storeowner Mike Eweje told the Daily Express, "It’s a stunt for the Royal family. People don’t care about the Royal wedding because they don’t care about people around here." You just can't win them all.
Her Hairstyle Is Messy
Meghan's go-to hairstyle has been labeled "messy", "too Californian" and "not Royal". She prefers to keep her hair away from her face in a messy bun which is loosely tied. Before the 1950s, Royal ladies would not have displayed their hair in public at all.
Diana Mather, a senior tutor for The English Manner etiquette consultancy, told the BBC, "Up until the 1950s ladies were very seldom seen without a hat as it was not considered 'the thing' for ladies to show their hair in public." Dress code etiquette in many of the upstate places Harry and Meghan will be expected to make an appearance states that women who choose not to wear hats should keep their hair pinned back. Whereas Meghan literally just wants to let her own hair down.
She Gave Her Signature Away
Another huge mistake Meghan had made was signing an autograph for a young fan during a public outing. The young girl named Caitlin told Hello magazine, "My heart is still racing. I’ve never got a royal autograph before. This is going to make everyone jealous."
This is yet again completely against the Royal rules as The Express reported, "The long-standing rule remains in place for all royals because of the risk of the signature being forged." The only other time anyone in the family has signed for a well-wisher was Prince Charles, Harry's father, wrote "Charles 2010" on a book. Judging by the way Harry looks like he's ready to grab his future wife by the shoulders - he really wants to get her out of the situation.
Her First Marriage Fell Apart
Before she had her heart set on becoming a princess, Meghan met film producer Trevor Engelson and after six years together they married during a ceremony in Jamaica. An insider told Woman's Day magazine, "Meghan landed her role in Suits just a few months before they married. And despite being together for six years before getting hitched, things started to fall apart not long after the wedding." Adding, "They really battled with long distances.
Trevor was based in LA while Meghan was in Toronto, a five-hour flight away. "It was a very difficult way to start married life." Currently, it's unknown if the Queen will attend Harry and Meghan's wedding as she is head of the church which does not allow divorce. She didn't even show up to Charles and Camilla's wedding in 2005. A senior Royal official told the Daily Express, "The Queen takes her position as Supreme Governor of the Church of England incredibly seriously." "She also has great personal faith."
She Changed Her Whole Persona
These photos of Meghan's first wedding party is one Harry would have tried to bury for good. The wedding in 2010 had 102 people on the guest list, and one party-goer told The Sun, "The ceremony was over very quickly, in about 15 minutes. Then everyone hit the dance floor. It seemed they all just wanted to party."
The event lasted around four days with drinking games on the beach - like Meghan being carried around in the 'wheelbarrow' position. According to Meghan's former friend, she completely changed after her role in Suits turned her into a star. The friend told Daily Mail, "Maybe she had started to change before then, but I was refusing to see it. The tone of her voice, her mannerisms, the way she laughed didn’t seem real to me anymore."
Press Intrudes In Her Past
This photo was taken during an unknown year but it's believed the time was before Meghan landed her role in Suits. The man in the photo she appears to be leaning on and who has his arms wrapped around is believed to be the head waiter at a party. The photo which first appeared on the Mail Online most likely would have sent Harry over the edge, as he already complained about the press intrusion during the start of his relationship.
Harry told The Telegraph, "I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and sort of lies and misconceptions and everything is coming to you from every angle." If Kate Middleton can get through her roller skating in hotpants pictures, then Meghan can get through this.
She Clutches Her Tote Bag
There's one main reason Meghan should have left her over-sized tote bag at home - she won't be able to avoid unwanted handshaking with the public when she steps out now. Although she has appeared so far to enjoy touching the general public, after the 100th handshake of the day she might not be as enthusiastic. Instead, the Royal ladies usually carry a small clutch purse.
Etiquette expert William Hanson told the Mail Online, "The Duchess of Cambridge may well prefer not to shake hands with certain people - but there are other ways to achieve this, as used by The Queen and other members of the royal family (like) opting for a clutch over a bag with a strap." He added, "It is the protocol that you do not extend your hand to any member of the royal family (blood royal or those who have married into the family) unless their hand extends first."
She Wore One Designer
We can't think of a time when a member of the Royal family had ever stepped out for a public appearance with a cross body bag but that was pre-Meghan Markle. The actress stepped out during an official visit to Scotland wearing the $550 Strathberry East/ West mini handbag. Meghan would be advised not to wear a standout designer purse as it might appear she is endorsing one designer over others.
What came next was the "Meghan effect" and the handbag sold out online in less than 11 minutes. The brand told the press, "It is such an honor to see Meghan carrying a Strathberry bag again." Another time she wore a coat by designer brand Sentaler and they revealed to Reuters, "The Meghan Markle effect is definitely real. Since she wore the wide collar wrap in camel color on Christmas Day, the coat sold out instantly. We were shipping coats all over the world."
She Talks About Forbidden Topics
There are certain topics for Royals that are off bounds but it appears nobody quite passed that memo to Meghan. She attended the first-ever Royal Foundation Forum which discusses what social and charity projects the foursome will engage in over the next few years, but Meghan went off topic and started to discuss the current #MeToo development.
The actress said, "Right now, with so many campaigns like #MeToo and Time’s Up, there’s no better time to continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and people supporting them." Royals are expected to not discuss any current events outside of their own charity work - maybe something Meghan picked up on afterward as judging by the looks on the faces of the other three, they were most probably not impressed with this slip-up.
She’s Going For A Princess In Training Programme
Harry has watched Kate Middleton morph from shy and retiring graduate student to one of the most admired women in the world. He got off to a rough start with Meghan, facing a public backlash surrounding the fact that Meghan isn't a traditional Royal choice, but now he's looking towards Kate to help his future bride become more like her.
A close source told US Weekly, "Keep in mind the aides advising Meghan now are of the same position at the palace as the ones who advised Kate when she first got engaged to William." Adding, "Harry made sure that his brother and sister-in-law are both available to Meghan. You can’t trust anyone more than family." We like to imagine this is like a 'Princess in training' school behind closed doors.
Her Starting Years Are A Memory She Doesn’t Like
Yes, Meghan was a former 'suitcase girl' on Deal Or No Deal when she was trying to make it as a young actress. She became clearly uncomfortable talking about her appearance on the game show as she told Esquire magazine, "Definitely working on Deal or No Deal was a learning experience, and it helped me to understand what I would rather be doing.
So if that's a way for me to gloss over that subject, then I will happily shift gears into something else." Now she has left the showbiz life behind, many people in L.A. are left scratching their heads how she managed to score such a big name like Prince Harry. One prominent agent told Town and Country magazine, "People in L.A. are asking themselves, ‘Did we miss something?' She skipped over all of us."
Her Wedding Doesn’t Respect Royal Protocol Either
Meghan hasn't just turned the tables on Royal protocol, she's now practically throwing them around. Eight hundred guests are expected to attend Harry and Megan's wedding on May 19th at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle instead of Westminister Abbey which has been used for Royal weddings since the 17th century.
According to the Sunday Times, she will also break tradition with an "affectionate" speech about her husband and her new family life. They reported, "She wants to have the chance to thank her husband and everyone who has supported them." They have also promised Royal aides that protocol involving the seating plans, invitations and the guest list will be respected - the last thing the palace needs is for this to turn into a celebrity-studded affair.
Public Speaking Seems To Not Be Her Thing
Meghan is an experienced actress but it appears public speaking might not be her thing. She was on track to present an award at the Endeavour Fund ceremony celebrating the achievements of ex-servicemen and women when there was a confusing mix-up. On stage, her co-presenter noticed they had mixed up notes and couldn't quite figure out who was getting the award.
Harry was sitting in the audience and likely caught Meghan's cringe-like face. These events will be her duty when she marries into the Royal family as she leaves her acting days behind her. Recently, she deleted all over her social media accounts and the palace stated she was "grateful to everyone who has followed her social media accounts over the years" but had closed them "as she has not used these accounts for some time."
She Makes Bad Outfit Choices
During her first visit to Wales with Harry, Meghan opted for a head-to-toe black outfit which is strongly advised against. Hello magazine reported, "Royal family members are also encouraged not to wear black unless they are attending a funeral or Remembrance Day." Instead, the Royal family choose a dark navy or blue when they want to opt for a darker color.
Meghan likely didn't get the memo (again) about this because she revealed that before meeting Harry, she didn't have much knowledge of the Royals at all. She told the comedy channel Dave during an interview, "Because I'm from the States, you don't grow up with the same understanding of the Royal family. While I now understand very clearly there's a global interest there, I didn't know much about (Prince Harry)."
She Doesn’t See Eye-To-Eye With Kate And William
Meghan certainly has been putting her best fashion foot forward - no matter what the cost. Even when this event stated dark navy as the dress code, she just rocked up in a matching white coat and beret. Her choices are always unconventional, choosing a sheer Ralph & Russo gown for official engagement photo and an Alexander McQueen pantsuit for her first official engagement.
But has her outfit choices caused a friction between the other Royals? According to Harry, he revealed that the foursome doesn't always see eye-to-eye. At the Royal Foundation Forum, he joked there are "disagreements." He continued, "I think it’s really good we have got four different personalities and we all have that same passion to make a difference. We have different opinions and they work really well (together)."