A fairytale no more?
MEGHAN’S FIVE TOUGH ROYAL LESSONS
Meghan Markle’s life changed forever after meeting Prince Harry and now, as their wedding day approaches, it’s further transforming as she transitions into becoming a duchess. Here are five fascinating facts about what Meghan’s going through en route to becoming royal.
1 MEGHAN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE QUEEN HAS STEPPED UP ANOTHER LEVEL There were murmurs about how the Queen might feel about Harry marrying a divorced American actress, but it appears Her Majesty has been nothing but welcoming to her future granddaughter-in-law. First, she invited Meghan to stay at Sandringham for Christmas with the rest of the royal family, which was a huge coup for Meghan as it broke with tradition. Normally anyone marrying into the family actually has to have a ring on their finger before they’re included in family occasions.
Then Meghan was asked to join the royal party at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. This too was setting a precedent as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge did not get to attend any official event with the Queen in the lead up to her marriage to Prince William in 2011.
A further sign of how warmly Meghan has been welcomed into the fold came when it was revealed that the day before the Commonwealth service, Meghan and Harry went for an “intimate” lunch with the Queen at Windsor Castle on what was Mother’s Day in the UK.
A royal observer says, “The fact Meghan is taking part in these events underscores the speed with which she has been accepted by the Queen and deemed suitable to carry out official duties.”
However, eyebrows were raised when a copy of the letter the Queen sent to the Privy Council, giving her official permission for Harry and Meghan to marry, was made public. The letter starts, “I declare my consent to a contract of matrimony between my most dearly beloved grandson Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales and Rachel Meghan Markle…”
Many were quick to compare that letter to one the Queen had written for Kate and William before their wedding in April 2011, pointing out that it had referred to Kate as “our trusty and well-beloved Catherine Elizabeth Middleton.”
It seemed like the letter regarding Meghan was a snub by comparison, until a royal expert explained that the letters were two different types of document, and the Queen was just following protocol for each of them. Meghan’s letter was a Charter of Declaration, unlike Kate’s, which was an Instrument of Consent. When the Queen writes a second letter, the Instrument of Consent, for Meghan and Harry closer to the wedding day, she is expected to refer to the bride as “trusty and beloved”.
2 MEGHAN PAYS FOR HER OWN FROCKS Meghan’s been turning heads with her outfits – such as the stylish white Amanda Wakely coat she donned for the Commonwealth Day service – and then making eyes water when the prices are revealed.
The white coat was $1400, which is way beyond the budget of most people, but still quite reasonable compared to some of the other clothes she’s worn. The most expensive outfit she’s appeared in so far was the Ralph and Russo couture gown she wore for her engagement photos – it cost a staggering $108,000.
It’s against protocol for the royals to accept free clothes, and while Meghan can probably afford some designer clothing – she is said to be worth around $9.7m – it’s believed that Harry is currently stepping in to help cover the bill when it comes to her clothes. He’s thought to be worth around $54m, so he should be able to afford some nice frocks.
Once Meghan is married to Harry, she’ll be able to tap into money from Princes Charles’ $40m Duchy of Cornwall income. Last year, William, Kate and Harry are said to have spent around $6.5m from that fund on clothes, as well as staff salaries and business-related expenses, among other things.
3 MEGHAN’S LEARNED SHE’LL BE ENTITLED TO A CHUNK OF HARRY’S FORTUNE IF THEY SPLIT
If everything goes belly-up, Meghan should at least have a secure financial future. Harry has apparently turned down the opportunity to safeguard his fortune by refusing to sign a pre-nuptial agreement, which means if the couple were ever to divorce, Meghan would not be restricted when it comes to asking for money from him.
Even a standard contract detailing how much Meghan would be entitled to should they go their separate ways would make sure she had very little claim on his sizable bank account, but Harry is so convinced his marriage will go the distance, he doesn’t want a bar of any legal document.
“There was never any question in Harry’s mind that he would sign a pre-nup,” says a friend. “He’s determined that his marriage will be a lasting one, so there’s no need for him to sign anything.”
‘He’s determined that his marriage will be a lasting one’
4 MEGHAN HAS BEEN BAPTISED INTO THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
She was raised by an Episcopalian mother, went to a Catholic school and married a Jewish man, but Meghan is now a member of the Church of England.
She was baptised during a private ceremony held at St James’s Palace earlier this month. Although she didn’t have to convert to marry Harry, it was seen as a way of being respectful to her future husband’s grandmother, the Queen, who is the head of the Church of England. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who will marry Meghan and Harry on May 19, presided over the service and says it was “very special. It was beautiful, sincere and very moving. It was a great privilege.”
5
MEGHAN HAS BEEN LEARNING HOW TO
BEHAVE LIKE A ROYAL
Sources report that Meghan has been undergoing a number of sessions in which she’s being taught all about etiquette and protocol, such as how to greet foreign dignitaries and what to do in situations such as public walkabouts.
Kate underwent similar training before she married William, but she had an advantage thanks to being British. Meghan will have to bone up on UK history and she will also have to pass a test about life in the UK to obtain British citizenship. Meanwhile, for those rare occasions when she gets to drive herself, Harry is teaching her how to drive on the left.
She may also need lessons on how to eat properly – and that doesn’t just mean being able to figure out which cutlery is used for which course. As one royal observer points out, many Americans tend to eat by cutting up their food first, then eating their meal with their fork in their right hand. That’s a big no-no in upper-class Britain, particularly if the fork is used to scoop up food. Instead, the fork should be held in the left hand and the knife, held in the right, should be used to push food – even peas – onto the back of the fork, to be eaten from there.