Meghan Markle Could’ve Been “Transformative” to Royals, Thanks to Same “Brilliant” Trait as Princess Diana
A royal biographer reflects on how the Duchess of Sussex had some similarities to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana.
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The Gist
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Meghan Markle should have been a “transformative” presence in the royal family, a royal biographer claims.
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Simon Vigar examined how the Suits star has some major similarities to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana in a new book.
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Vigar also explored the legacies of Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla as well as “changemaker” Diana after they married into the royal family.
A royal author is taking a look back at how Princess Diana, Kate Middleton, Queen Camilla, and Meghan Markle changed the monarchy when they married into the royal family—and how the Suits actress’s “transformative” potential was ultimately put to “waste” due to “egos.”
Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry arrive to attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on December 25, 2018 in King’s Lynn, England.
Credit: Getty Images
In a new biography called The Four Wives of Windsor, author Simon Vigar examines the past and ongoing legacies of these women, starting with the “biggest changemaker” Diana. Per People, Vigar revealed that in contrast to Diana’s royal family marriage, Kate and her husband Prince William as well as Meghan and her husband Prince Harry “were in love in a way that [then-Prince] Charles and Diana were not.”
However, Meghan—who married Harry in 2018—had some personal similarities with the late princess. The As Ever founder is also a divorcée (she called it quits with ex-husband Trevor Engelson in 2014), and according to Vigar, she also possesses a similar public charisma.
Meghan Markle visits Nottingham for her first official public engagement with fiance Prince Harry on December 1, 2017 in Nottingham, England.
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“She was obviously a massive asset,” the biographer said, pointing to Meghan and Harry’s first outing as a couple in Nottingham in 2017. “She was brilliant with the crowd, with the people. She would have been a major player in the royal family, and it is a crying shame that she’s not.”
Vigar also gave Meghan her flowers for her go-getter attitude, using her first solo project as Duchess of Sussex, the Together: Our Community Cookbook, as an example. “She ran with it privately and got it done,” Vigar said about the publication, which supported victims of a devastating 2017 London Grenfell apartment fire. “You could see what a doer she is, and to me it is such a shame that it’s gone to waste.”
Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry at Windsor Castle on September 10, 2022 in Windsor, England.
Credit: Getty Images
However, ultimately, the royal author said that Megan had “different expectations” about what being a part of the royal family entailed when she joined it at 36 compared to Diana, who was just 20 when she married Charles. “Meghan expected total PR control, which was not possible in the British royal family,” he said.
“She should have been, could have been, fantastic for the royal family, but egos on both sides got in the way,” Vigar continued, referencing Harry and Meghan’s ongoing rift with the royal family. “By 2019, nobody was talking to each other. Harry and Meghan seemed to be on a path where they felt alone. They should have been transformative.”
