16 Times Meghan Markle Had A Real Hard Time With Royal Life
On paper, marrying into the royal family seems like an actual dream (for some people!). You become ACTUAL ROYALTY. That’s nothing to sneeze at, you know? There are a lot of superficial perks of becoming a royal, like the palaces and tiaras and fashion and fame. Obviously, those aren’t necessarily reasons to marry someone. But we imagine they can make the transition from regular to royal life a little easier. Because let’s be honest – that is a difficult transition. It’s not just going from living privately to living in a fishbowl (although that’s probably one of the hardest changes). It’s going from living a normal life to living one full of rules and expectations and rigidity. You gain a lot, sure. But if you’re someone like Meghan Markle, it seems like that lose so much, too.
Now, Meghan Markle didn’t exactly live a life like yours and ours before she married Prince Harry. She was a successful actress who starred on a hit TV show, after all! But even going from one charmed life to another was a difficult transition, and Meghan hasn’t always had an easy go of royal life. For someone who’s never shied away from exerting her independence, the sudden lack of independence has to be hard. Add to that a whole lot of drama from her estranged family and some nasty coverage from the tabloid media, and you’ve got a recipe for a bumpy ride. Here are some of the times Meghan Markle had a hard time adjusting to the royal life. Luckily, she’s got a good man by her side to help her through.
Meghan Markle had to give up a lot when she married Harry.
When Meatloaf sang, “I would do anything for love”, he may as well have been talking about Meghan Markle. She had it pretty good before she met Harry – her own little home in Canada, a starring role on a TV show, some modeling gigs, the freedom to be carefree and independent. She had to pretty much give it all up when she said yes to marrying a prince, and while we doubt she regrets any of it, it still had to have been a hard transition. Especially walking away from her career! Actors work for years to land a role on a serial show on a major network. It must have been very bittersweet to say goodbye to that.
Outspoken Meghan Markle has had to keep her own beliefs and ideals to herself since marrying into the royal family.
You have to remember, this is the women who as a young girl wrote letters to influential people to get a sexist and patriarchal cleaning product ad changed. Meghan Markle has some pretty strong principles and values, which is a good thing! But not necessarily when you’re a royal. The royal family is very neutral, doesn’t get involved in political or social issues, and doesn’t comment on them either. So while all this stuff is happening around the world that undoubtedly has an affect on Meghan, she can’t speak out on it like she used to do. Can’t be easy!
Adjusting to the lack of independence has reportedly been a struggle.
Imagine going from being able to come and go as you please to having your every move scheduled and scrutinized. From being able to do things for yourself and by yourself to having an entire team of people around you to manage your very existence. Going from leading a fairly private life to having little to no privacy at all. Life changes when you get married, but it usually doesn’t change THAT much. Even if Meghan had the option of saying no to things she’s expected to do, she’d be crucified by the tabloid media and labeled a diva. The palace doesn’t like bad press, and that would be a whole lot of bad press.
Meghan Markle was used to doing things her way, and that isn’t the royal family way.
It would be difficult for someone who grew up in that circle to adjust to royal life. For someone from a completely different world? Yikes. Royal biographer Penny Junor says, “She’s had a completely different life, she didn’t really know the British royal family, how it operated and what her life would be like. She is clearly used to being her own woman, operating at her own hours and behaving the way she needs to, to get on in a very, very competitive world.” There are a lot of rules and expectations and very rigid schedules. And as a Duchess, Meghan Markle is expected to go along with them regardless of how she feels about it.
Meghan’s work ethic and drive to be successful in her new role is causing some turmoil.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been married almost a year, and in that short time, several royal staff members have resigned from their posts. Now, there could be a million different reasons for that. But sources say it has to do with Meghan’s strong work ethic and high demands for her staff. According to a report in the Daily Mail, “It is said palace staff have never experienced anything remotely like Meghan’s formidable work ethic, matched only by the incessant stream of ideas about how to shape her role. Though the aides see her enthusiasm as well-meaning, her up and at ’em West Coast energy is an uncomfortable fit with the more formal ethos of some of the palace staff.”
Plus, there’s the drama, like the attacks from irrelevant cad Piers Morgan.
According to television personality and all-around prick Piers Morgan, he and Meghan Markle would quite close and chummy before she met and married Harry. We … can’t picture that, but OK, Piers! But Piers says that Meghan “ghosted” him as soon as she got with Harry, and he’s big mad about it. And obviously, because he’s Piers Morgan, he took their faux-feud to the media and complained about it. Piers says, “I was friendly with Meghan but she ghosted me. I am not impressed. There seems to be a pattern of her doing that to people, it’s a bit worrying. From my personal experience, she is someone I thought I was pretty matey with and ”˜bang’, she met somebody more important and that was it, and told other members of her show who I was friendly with to stop talking to me.”
And more drama, from her own family.
Listen, you give any of our family trees a hard shake and some pretty wacky nuts are going to fall from the branches. Luckily for us, we just have to put up with those family members once a year at Thanksgiving. Meghan Markle marrying into the royal family thrust her into the international spotlight, and some members of her family have clung to her coattails like parasites. Her father Thomas was famously uninvited from the wedding after he sold photos of himself to British tabloids. And her half-sister Samantha Markle-Grant is a real piece of work. She never misses an opportunity to drag Meghan, calling her heartless and blaming her for their father’s death (even though he’s not dead). Incredibly hurtful and difficult to deal with.
As if all of this wasn’t bad enough, Meghan’s pregnancy ratcheted it up a million notches. She’s been accused of faking her pregnancy.
It wasn’t long after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced the pregnancy that the fake bump rumors started. Because naturally they would fake a pregnancy rather than just … not get pregnant? We’re not sure what it is about this particular rumor that people seem to enjoy (remember the Beyonce fake pregnancy stuff?), but the fake pregnancy BS has dogged Meghan for months. She’s been accused of wearing a prosthetic belly, and she and Harry have been accused of using a surrogate and just making it look like Meghan is carrying the child. Why on earth this is even a thing is beyond us, but it’s got to be so difficult to deal with it all while trying to balance life as a pregnant royal.
Meghan Markle also has to deal with people tearing her down because she … touches her pregnant belly too much. We’re totally serious.
You remember being pregnant, right? Your hands just sort of gravitate to your belly at all times. First of all, your baby is in there, you want to be protective over this little life. Second of all, it’s just a natural shelf. Finally, where else are you supposed to put your hands?! Apparently Meghan Markle cradles and touches her belly too much, and people don’t like it. Imagine being criticized, as a pregnant woman, for touching your belly too much. This world has lost it’s collective mind and we are so sad about what this woman has to deal with on a daily basis.
She can’t even enjoy her own damn baby shower in peace.
Apparently, Meghan’s baby US baby shower was over-the-top and too Hollywood and angered members of the royal family. This according to Paul Burrell, Princess Diana’s former butler. Burrell says, “I think Prince William will be angered by all of Meghan’s lavish extravagance this week and the fact her baby shower looked so ‘celebrity’ rather than ‘royal’. He has spent years working with the press to give them what they want but also gets what he wants in return ”” privacy. Meghan is doing exactly what he doesn’t ”” courting attention all for her and her baby.” So the baby shower, thrown for Meghan by her friends (many of whom are celebrities, given the nature of her past life) was too star-studded. Mmmmmkay.
Meghan Markle has to deal with drama everywhere she turns, real or imagined.
The media loves nothing more than to pit two strong, successful women against each other. Because clearly there’s only room at the top for one, right? So CLEARLY there must be infighting and feuding happening at all times. It was only a matter of time before the tabloids focused their attention on Meghan and Kate and turned them into bitter enemies. Imagine having to deal with being made out as some kind of villain trying to take your sister-in-law down? Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton have more important things to do with their time than hate on each other, presumably. But it’s got to hurt to see it replayed in the media over and over again.
When Meghan Markle isn’t being blamed for a feud with Kate, she’s being blamed for a feud between Harry and William.
Because two grown-ass men aren’t responsible for their own relationship? Okey dokey. In the long-standing tradition of blaming women for the problems of men, the tabloids have placed the blame for an alleged rift between Harry and William square on Meghan’s shoulders. Apparently, not long after Harry and Meghan started dating, William let it be known that he felt the relationship was moving too fast. Which is none of his business and we’re sure it went over like a lead balloon with Harry. Add to that the rumors of a Meghan/Kate feud, and the famously close brothers apparently aren’t so close anymore.
There’s also stepmother-in-law drama!
Personally, we don’t think it’s really a good idea for Camilla Parker Bowles to comment on any of the members of the royal family, considering how she came to be in that family. But apparently she finds Meghan Markle to be “trashy”. Which. Just let that sink in for a moment. The woman who carried on a decades-long affair with a married Prince Charles finds the Duchess of Sussex to be … trashy. The irony is thick in here! Still, it can’t be easy to have somehow ended up on the wrong side of your husband’s stepmother, regardless of how baseless her opinion is.
The way Meghan Markle traveled home from her baby shower ruffled some feathers.
Meghan and baby were showered with love at a baby shower in NYC, and it seemed to be a lovely affair (despite what ex-butler Paul Burrell had to say about it). But after the party, Meghan had to head back to the UK before a royal trip to Morocco with Prince Harry. Now, anyone who’s flown late in pregnancy knows it’s awful, and we’re not talking about a quick flight here. We’re talking NYC to London. So Meghan flew home on a private jet NOT paid for by the palace (it’s rumored that George and Amal Clooney foot the bill for the trip). But of course, people hated on Meghan for it, and it caused quite the stir.
Meghan Markle can’t even make the royal family happy when it comes to her clothes.
Now, we happen to think that Meghan Markle has been knocking it out of the park, fashion-wise. She never looks anything but absolutely stunning. Plus, we dig that she’s bending some of the royal fashion rules a bit! It’s 2019, it’s OK if a woman doesn’t wear pantyhose. But apparently she’s had to deal with some members of the royal family taking issue with her sartorial choices. A palace source says, “Meghan is being told she needs to start dressing less like a Hollywood star and more like a royal.” High hemlines and no hats is a big no-no in the royal family, and Meghan isn’t really following their boring rules when it comes to what she wears.
But Meghan Markle has at least two pretty important people on her side. Harry, of course, and the Queen herself.
She might be rubbing some people the wrong way, and be fake fighting with her royal family. She may have to deal with some pretty major life changes and loss of her independence and privacy. But it’s pretty clear that Harry is behind her 100%, and she also has another big fan in the family: Queen Elizabeth. A palace source says, “Meghan and the Queen come from two very different backgrounds and generations. But there’s a warmth between the two that is genuine and loving. Whenever they’re together, they always have a giggle”. The Queen is also quite interested in Meghan’s perspective on global issues and current events, and is quite impressed with how well Meghan is handling her royal duties.
