Theories About Meghan Markle And Prince Harry That Were Actually True

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Prince William and Princess Catherine of Wales might be the royal fan favorites in Great Britain, but the glass castle is showing signs of cracks. On November 30, 2022, William's godmother, Lady Susan Hussey, resigned from her position as an "honorary member" of the royal family after making racist remarks toward Ngozi Fulani, a charity founder who was visiting with the royals. Alleging in a tweet that Hussey "pressed her for information about her nationality, as reported by NBC News, the palace quickly released a statement acknowledging that William's godmother "stepped aside" from her post. Social media quickly weighed in on the latest racially-toned debacle stemming from the royal family, with one overarching sentiment flooding Twitter comment sections: "Maybe people should've listened to Meghan Markle."

It was a shocking day when Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, announced plans to step back from their roles as senior family members. After a fairytale wedding, the allure of the firm lost its charm as Meghan and Harry were subjected to harsh media coverage (Piers Morgan is just the tip of the iceberg). Later telling Oprah that there was no other choice other than to leave Britain, Harry and Meghan have continued to share their side of the story — a Netflix documentary about their time as royals just dropped its trailer as of publication. But what about the myths that have surrounded the couple since day one? As it turns out, some of them are true.

When Meghan Markle first came onto the royal scene, she was a bit of a monopoly. American, a career woman, divorced, mixed race — many looked to her identity alone as the shake-up that the antiquated royal family needed. But as Meghan explained to Oprah Winfrey during their now-infamous interview, the aspects of her life that set her apart from the other members of the firm were ultimately used to keep her at arm's length (via YouTube).

"You came in as an American, you came in as an actress, you came in as a divorcée, you came in as an independent woman, you came in as the first mixed-race person to marry into the family. Did that concern you in being able to fit in? Did you think about that at all?" Oprah asked Meghan during the sit-down.

"I thought about it because they made me think about it," Meghan answered, alluding to the labels that were placed on her from the start.

Reflecting on Meghan's words and relating them to the larger picture is Renée Graham, a columnist for The Boston Globe, who wrote of the interview, "One need not be a royal to recognize the misogynoir — a very distinct hatred of Black women — that Meghan, the daughter of a Black mother and a white father, has faced for years from the British media, public, and, to no one's surprise, members of the royal family."

While Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding was the celebration of a decade, it wasn't drama-free. There was the entire row between Meghan and Catherine, Princess of Wales, about bridesmaids' dresses — which Meghan debunked in her interview with Oprah, much to Kate's reported ire. But topping off the scandal cake was Meghan's father, Thomas Markle, who made a song and dance about his daughter's royal wedding (via OK!). Staging paparazzi photographs, picturing him buying a suit, and reading a book about Britain turned a distant father-daughter dynamic into an all-out war. When Thomas later excused himself from the wedding, placing blame on his health, then-Prince Charles walked Meghan down the aisle.

Of the relationship between the Duchess of Sussex and her father today, Omid Scobie and Naga Munchetty discussed the status on BBC Breakfast, saying that the two will never see eye to eye. "We know that relationship has really come to an end," Scobie and Munchetty estimated, as noted by Express. "He famously released a private letter that she wrote him to the British papers, and had continued a relationship with them instead of trying to fix the one with her, and I think that's where we leave things today."

Thomas went as far as to express his pursuit of legal options to see his grandchildren, who Harry and Meghan are said to have kept away from him (via Page Six). Any such legal proceedings have since ceased.

In the aftermath of Diana Spencer's tragic and untimely death, much attention was paid to her sons, who were just 15 and 12 at the time. While Prince William was cast as the golden boy and the future king of England, Harry was seen as a bit of a troublemaker, and a string of tabloid scandals — and a very distasteful Halloween costume — got him into quite a lot of trouble. However, what the public saw was just the tip of the iceberg, as Harry told Oprah in their Apple TV+ series, "The Me You Can't See," that his substance abuse problem was far worse than he let on.

"[I was] so angry with what happened to [Diana]," Harry said of his late mother, adding that his years between the ages of 28 and 32 were a string of "nightmares."

"I would probably drink a week's worth in one day on a Friday or a Saturday night," he admitted to the talk show host. "And I would find myself drinking not because I was enjoying it but because I was trying to mask something."

Divulging even further about the severity of his substance abuse problem, Harry — who has spoken more candidly about the death of his mother — admitted on-camera, "I was willing to drink, I was willing to take drugs. I was willing to try and do the things that made me feel less like I was feeling."

Titles are a big deal in the royal family, signifying importance, designation, and honor – and are a bit of a sore spot for Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. As many observed in the aftermath of Queen Elizabeth II's death, titles shifted hands. Charles, once the Prince of Wales, became King Charles III and later designated the Wales title to William and his wife, Catherine.

As royal expert Katie Nicholl told the Mirror, Harry and Meghan are entitled to the monikers of prince and princess now that their grandfather is monarch. Though, as many know, Charles has withheld the titles from little Archie and Lilibet, as Harry and Meghan have "tarnished" the monarchy in his eyes.

"We know from their past ventures — looking at Oprah — that they're not afraid to be critical of the institution, that there have been some pretty low blows. But I'm hearing from my sources — and I think this might be at the root of it — that we could be prepared to see the king's ruthless side in all of this," Nicholl explained. "Charles is not going to stand back and let the family or the institution, the reputation of the crown, which is everything to him, be tarnished or indeed trashed, certainly not by members of the royal family. It's no coincidence that we haven't seen titles bestowed on Archie and Lilibet."

Reports of Meghan "bullying" staff members surfaced in the time leading up to the couple's departure from England for the United States, and while such claims have been labeled as part of a "calculated smear campaign," the impression about the pair has largely stuck.

In the upcoming book, "Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait," author Gyles Brandreth brings a new reality to such whispers, writing in an excerpt published by Express that palace staffers snubbed Harry and Meghan during their time in England.

"Whenever the names of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex come up in court circles, courtiers flinch and change the subject or refer to them as 'persons who live overseas,'" Brandreth asserts. "If Harry and Meghan are mentioned to members of the royal family, they simply smile briefly and say 'we wish them all the best' and nothing else." Countering such a sentiment is Catherine St-Laurent, Harry and Meghan's former chief of staff, who told The Cut that working for the couple was "an incredible experience."

"They are incredibly talented and creative leaders," St-Laurent said. "I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to do that, to be able to be with them on their journey. The time that I spent with them was incredibly fulfilling. I think they have the potential to be very influential leaders in the social-impact space. I look forward to continuing to be a part of that."

When Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, first started dating Prince Harry, she wasn't exactly a young ingenue who had never seen the public gaze before. She was a well-established actress who starred in a popular show. While she certainly wouldn't have been used to the same large crowds that the royal family draws, she had the charisma and character to deal with the press and the public.

Things may have turned sour, but at first, Meghan was a glittering new beacon in the royal landscape that attracted a lot of attention — some thought possibly too much attention. Journalist Michelle Ruiz wrote a piece for Vanity Fair in which she supposed that Meghan and Harry were taking the spotlight away from Princess Catherine and Prince William, which The Firm didn't like.

Harry seemingly confirmed this theory in the couple's Netflix docuseries "Harry and Meghan" when he explained (via Sky News): "The issue is when someone who is marrying in who should be a supporting act is stealing the limelight or doing the job better than the person who was born to do this, that upsets people, it shifts the balance." Both Meghan and Harry felt as though there was some sort of jealousy at play, though of course, Harry's brother has never commented to confirm or deny. It seems likely the future king will never break his silence on the matter.

One of the saddest things about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's story is arguably the turmoil it has caused between Harry and his oldest brother, Prince William. The pair were always considered to be close, supporting each other through their shared trauma of losing a mother so young. In August 2022, a French documentary called "Red Line: William and Harry, the Enemy Brothers" shared details of a fight between the siblings.

"William, who already didn't like his sister-in-law very much, became furious," explained Pierrick Geais, a royal biographer, during an interview in the documentary (via Marie Claire). "He called Harry directly, and Harry slammed the phone down. Harry didn't want to know anything, and so William jumped in a car towards Kensington Palace, where he was going to confront Prince Harry."

These revelations left many wondering if they ever actually came to blows over Meghan. Harry revealed all in his memoir, explaining that during a confrontation at his Kensington Palace home, things got very dicey (via The Guardian): "He set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dog's bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out."