Royal lookalike: “I’m just as demanding as pregnant Meghan!”
Sarah Mhlanga has been impersonating Meghan Markle since her engagement to Prince Harry – and the Duchess’ double is more in demand than ever, thanks to a fake bump
❛ PRETENDING TO BE EXPECTING IS SO MUCH FUN… PLUS I GET TREATED LIKE A PRINCESS! ❜
Since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced their baby news, business has been booming for royal lookalike Sarah Mhlanga.
The mum-of-two, who spoke to Closer last year ahead of their royal wedding, says Meghan’s pregnancy has changed her life once again. She now has a new wardrobe full of maternity clothes and hires a fake bump – costing £80 a time – for public appearances.
And as royal insiders claim the real Meghan is becoming increasingly “difficult” as her bump grows, Sarah is using her pretend pregnancy as an excuse to be just as demanding!
Sarah, who lives near Manchester with her husband Jabulani, 37, and their children, Josiah, eight, and Mimi-raie, six, says, “Pretending to be expecting is so much fun, and it means I get treated like a princess. Strangers open doors for me and bring me cups of tea and, during appearances, I’m often asked to pose with a baby – it’s making me broody!
“I’ve watched hours of clips online, so I’ve perfected the way Meghan cradles her bump. I don’t really like wearing maternity clothes, though, as it means I can’t show off my slim figure.
OUTRAGEOUS DEMANDS
“I know Meghan has received some negative press for appearing to ‘milk’ her pregnancy as she’s always cradling her bump and supposedly making outrageous demands, but I think the public are being overly harsh. Every woman deserves to be treated like a princess, especially when they’re pregnant.
“During my pregnancies, I used to hold my bump all the time, too – it makes you feel connected to your baby. And when it comes to her being demanding, I think she’s just a strong woman who knows what she wants – if she was a man, no one would bat an eyelid.
“I think my personality is actually very similar to Meghan’s. My husband and children know that what I say goes. In fact, my number is listed as ‘ The Boss’ in my husband’s phone!”
Sarah, who also works as a performing arts teacher, claims she guessed the Duchess was expecting days before the news was officially announced.
She says, “I’ve watched so much footage of Meghan that I could tell something was different about her. When I saw her at Eugenie’s wedding, I texted my agent, telling her I thought the Duchess was expecting. “When she announced the news three days later, I woke up to hundreds of texts on my phone. I knew it would mean more requests for lookalike work, so I was thrilled.”
Since the news broke, clients have asked Sarah to wear a prosthetic bump for appearances.
She says, “At first, I just put a pillow under my dress – but it was quite tricky, especially as I worried about it falling out! Now I use a fake bump that I hire from a theatre props shop, as it looks more realistic. My kids love it though, especially my youngest. I’ve explained to her that I’m not really pregnant, but she’s always asking when she’s going to have a baby brother or sister, and she keeps asking to see photos of herself as a baby.”
Despite her striking resemblance to the royal, Sarah only realised she was a doppelgänger in August 2017.
DOUBLE TAKE
She says, “I was in IKEA and the cashier did a double take and gasped when she saw me – she said I looked exactly like Meghan! Even my children
agreed – when they saw a photo of Meghan, they thought it was me.
“I didn’t think much more of it until Meghan and Harry got engaged a couple of months later. Friends and family started telling me how similar we looked, so I posted a picture of myself next to one of Meghan on social media.
“I received hundreds of messages from people commenting on the likeness. Then people started stopping me in the street and on the school run, asking for selfies.
“I do about three or four shoots a week, earning around £200 each time. It’s not cheap to emulate a royal, so I put quite a bit of the money back into looking the part.
EATING FOR TWO
“The only downside is that pretending to be pregnant means I’ve lost my motivation to stay trim. When I first started working as a lookalike, I cut out dairy, gluten, carbohydrates and sugar. I lost around a stone and went from a size 8 to a size 4, so that my figure would be more like Meghan’s.
“But now, I’m starting to snack on crisps and chocolate again – it’s like I’m eating for two! Thankfully, I’m always on my feet so I don’t think I’ve put on any weight yet.”
And as Meghan’s due date approaches, Sarah can’t wait for the new royal baby.
She says, “I’m so looking forward to the birth of a new prince or princess. I really wish Meghan well and hope she enjoys motherhood as much as I do. I can’t wait to see what she does next!”