Why Meghan Markle Has A Tough Time Being A Princess

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, aka Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, announced this week that they will step back as senior royals and work to become “financially independent,” splitting their time between the U.K. and North America.

The British public have expressed surprise and shock at the statement.

On Friday, in a hilariously petulant move, the Madame Tussauds wax museum in London was quick to remove the models of the couple from its Royal Family set.

See Also: Prince Harry And Meghan Seek Financial Independence: How Do British Royals Make Their Money?

What Went Wrong For Meghan Markle?

When Meghan first started dating Harry in 2016, she is quoted saying she didn't have a lot of “preconceived notions” about who he was before they met.

The couple dated quietly for four months before the news leaked Oct. 31, 2016 that Prince Harry was dating an American actress.  

Harry confirmed his relationship with Markle in a formal statement Nov. 8, 2016. As soon as the eligible prince confirmed that he was off the market, there was plenty of jealousy expressed toward Markle;. Harry plead forf a stop to the “wave of abuse and harassment" directed at his then-girlfriend.

The couple married May 19, 2018, and the criticism and hounding by the U.K. press only got worse after they tied the knot. 

Traditionally, those who marry into the U.K. royal family or aristocracy will find themselves moving in a completely different social circle — one that's arguably stuffy and out-of-touch with the real world.

Fairy Tale Goes Wrong

"Because I’m from the States, you don’t grow up with the same understanding of the royal family," Markle said during a BBC interview.

"I didn’t know much about him [Harry], so the only thing that I had asked [our mutual friend] when she said that she wanted to set us up, was, 'well is he nice?' Cause if he wasn't kind, it just didn’t seem like it would make sense."

Last October, reports emerged that Markle was suing the Mail on Sunday for publishing private letters to her father.

In a statement, Harry said the British tabloid press was waging a campaign against his wife that mirrored the treatment of his mother.

Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was also hounded by the U.K. paparazzi until her tragic 1997 death in Paris. 

Today, Markle's every move is scrutinized by the press, from the color of her stockings to her nails, with headlines such as: "So THAT'S why her legs are so shiny! Meghan ditches her nude tights in favour of 'air stockings' for National Theatre visit - leaving her pins looking glowing."

The U.K. press have given Markle a hard time and have now succeeded in hounding the Duchess of Sussex out of Britain.

Love Overcomes All?

In response, Harry and Meghan are openly rebelling and tearing up rules of engagement with the U.K. media and bypassing the "frequent misreporting" by royal correspondents.

Since the news broke, a number of American columnists are standing up to defend Markle.

GQ columnist Rachel Tashjian said that before she tragically passed, Princess Diana also charted out a path of independence from the royal family.

Photo via Wikimedia.