What’s With All the Meghan Markle Drama Lately?
December 12, 2018
Despite having a history in Hollywood, Meghan Markle’s transition into royal life has been dramatic at best. While she and Prince Harry were still dating, he had to release a formal statement condemning the sexist, racist remarks many had made about his then-girlfriend.
When they became engaged, people seemed generally happy for Harry and Meghan, but some struggled with a wedding that broke from many British traditions. Even Princess Beatrice’s eyes widened as the preacher delivered a sermon that came straight from America’s deep south.
Of course, the fact that Meghan’s sister, Samantha, and father, Thomas, have chosen to go to the tabloids with the family’s dirty laundry hasn’t helped. The sisters have been estranged for many years but that hasn’t stopped Samantha from trying to make it seem as though they’ve been suddenly shut out. When Meghan’s pregnancy was announced, her older sister publicly apologized but, soon after, announced that her tell-all book would be released right around the time of the baby’s birth.
The headlines have been frequent, both positive and negative, but lately they’ve taken a really strange turn. Truly, it feels as though every story is about disgruntled staff, diva behavior and rifts with members of the royal family—and this is in addition to her ongoing feud with the Markles.
What exactly is going on? Has everyone decided to run to the press with complaints at the same time? Is there a smear campaign underway? Considering the fact that the Duchess of Sussex is now heavily pregnant, it’s surprising that the stories are anything but glowing.
There Have Been Rumors …
- Meghan wakes up at 5 AM and messages staffers with requests and ideas multiple times a day.
- Prince Harry clashed with his grandmother, the Queen, over a tiara that Meghan was not given permission to wear during her wedding.
- Speaking of that special day, sources allege Meghan requested air fresheners because St. George’s Chapel was “musty” but the Palace said no.
- There is tension between Meghan and Kate Middleton, including an incident that culminated into an “explosive row” before the wedding.
… And Staff Changes
- Less than a month ago, Melissa Touabti, Meghan’s personal assistant, quit her job.
- Samantha Cohen, Harry and Meghan’s Chief of Staff, has announced that she’ll be leaving the role when the baby is born. Cohen formerly served as the press spokeswoman and assistant private secretary for the Queen.
Here’s What We Actually Know
Nothing. Zip, nada, zilch! For all we know, Meghan’s sister and father are feeding horrible things to the tabloids. At the same time, the American-born Duchess is probably trying to adjust to her incredibly different, new British life.
Under any circumstances, someone might step on some toes but it’s got to be even more difficult to enter a world of such tradition. After all, Kate and Prince William dated for years before she even met the Queen, so she had a lot of time to learn. This level of scrutiny just seems a little unfair (and suspicious—where are these stories coming from?).
As always, Meghan seems to be taking it all in stride without ever publicly showing that the hysteria is getting to her. Instead, Kensington Palace announced that the newlyweds will be celebrating Christmas with Prince William and Kate (and also denounced reports of a feud).
On Monday, the expectant mother made a surprise appearance at the British Fashion Awards, where Claire Waight Keller, the artistic director for Givenchy, was honored with the British Womenswear Designer of the Year award. The women bonded earlier this year while Keller designed Meghan’s wedding dress.
Hopefully, things will settle down so that Meghan can enjoy the rest of her pregnancy in peace. Those hormones can get to the best of us so, considering the level of drama surrounding her, the Duchess of Sussex has been nothing short of heroic.
