Heaps Of Dissimilarities

In July 2016, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met on a blind date set up by a mutual friend. Neither of them would've thought that it would be the beginning of a whole new journey. The two got off to a lovely start, not knowing the problems that awaited, especially Meghan.

Among their many differences were nationality (British and American) and race. Meghan was also three years older and a divorced woman. Only once in the British Royal Family history had a direct member (King Edward VIII) married a divorcee. Our question is: Was Meghan really prepared to handle being royalty?

Overlooking Royal Protocol

Being a part of the royal family means that one must remember all their rules and protocols, especially in public. Approximately one year after Meghan married Prince Harry, and a month after their son's birth, the two attended the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London.

While the national anthem played at the ceremony, videographers caught a glimpse of Meghan talking to Harry. Since talking during the national anthem is disrespectful (royalty or not), Harry cut her off, after which Meghan looked quite uncomfortable as if she was about to cry. The clip went viral soon and was under heavy scrutiny, leaving folks wondering how motherhood was treating her then.

Worries Of A Mother

With the differences that Meghan may have had with other royal family members, the last thing she wanted was for her son to be treated any differently. When neither Queen Elizabeth II nor Prince Philip attended Archie's baptism, questions from the public arose.

However, the media later clarified that the Queen had prior commitments in Edinburgh, Scotland, just two days before Archie's christening. Meanwhile, Prince Philip has already retired, and therefore, has minimized public appearances. They couldn't be at Prince Louis' christening in 2018 either. It would've been a good gesture for them to attend, though. After all, Meghan gave up a lot to be part of their family...

Letting Go Of Everything She Loved

When Meghan was getting ready to tie the knot, she had more than just planning a royal wedding on her plate. In reality, she had to let go of many things that she'd held dear, like her acting career, social media accounts, and voting rights.

That's not all. In adherence to royal protocol, Meghan couldn't take selfies with fans and sign autographs. She also has limited fashion and style preferences (no bright, dark, or artificial nails) and had to get a six-month training on royal etiquette. Meghan even had to give up her own religion (Roman Catholic) and take up the Anglican faith! Then came the drama involving past lovers...

Putting Up With Exes Post-Marriage

One of the most awkward phases of any relationship is "the exes talk." We assume Meghan and Harry had that too, especially since the former was married once before. And even though he wasn't married, Prince Harry has dated a fair share of women, including Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas.

Meghan had to deal with them even after marriage. For one, both Davy and Bonas attended their union, which is a nightmare for the bride. Davy is said to have visited Harry after the Trooping the Colour controversy and comforted him after his announcement to move away. So what was Harry and Chelsy's relationship like when they were together?

An Emotional "Parting" Call

Among all of Harry's ex-girlfriends, Chelsy Davy holds a special place in his heart because he dated her on and off for seven long years. Reports even claim that he would've married her in a heartbeat if she hadn't gotten cold feet and stepped away.

As per Vanity Fair, the former lovebirds had an emotional conversation on the phone before the marriage with Meghan, iterating that Harry was moving on for good. It was a tearful time for Chelsy and almost made her skip the event. Imagine learning all that drama as a newly wedded duchess. On top of that, Meghan went on to have a fallout with Kate Middleton.

Rivalry Between Sisters-In-Law

As they say, to marry someone is to marry their family. The statement is particularly true in the royal family, where one's actions can easily hurt others' feelings. One example is when Kate Middleton stormed out in tears after Meghan's strict requirements for the bridesmaid's dress of Princess Charlotte, reported by The Sun.

Meghan wanted everything to be perfect, while Kate was emotional right after her third childbirth, so the dispute could've easily been avoided. Author Tom Quinn even claims that Meghan was mean to one of Kate's staffers, causing their feud. Real or not, we can't disregard that Meghan shattered a few dreams to be a duchess like Kate.

Some Aspirations Were All They Were

As we mentioned before, Meghan had to set aside many things after becoming a British Royal Family member. One of the least talked-about things is her lifestyle blog, The Tig, which was well-established and had received critical acclaim. Glamour described it as her passion and side hustle, which she had to give up.

However, she wasn't alone there. Even Kate had to give up her photography, website designing, and marketing careers before marrying into the royal family. Life post-marriage comes with limited options. Hopefully, Meghan can find solace in her philanthropy work. But enough about Meghan's struggles for now. Let's see how having her in his life affected Prince Harry...

How She Changed Him

As much as Meghan's world was impacted by marrying Harry, his life also saw significant changes after beginning to live with her. The main one would be "Megxit." If you didn't know, it's a word the media coined referring to the couple's decision to step down as senior members of the British Royal Family in January 2020.

Harry left behind literally everything to be with Meghan and Archie in America. Apparently, even his personality changed since The Sun claimed a royal expert stated that Harry became "grumpy, sad and bad-tempered" post-marriage. You'd be surprised that Prince Philip might've called it first as he spoke about it to Harry before marriage.

Actresses Are Only Acquaintances

Meghan was a skilled actress in America, widely known for her role as Rachel Zane in the legal drama series Suits. She was definitely on her way to achieving greater heights in her career when she had to put that all behind her.

However, according to the Daily Mail, Prince Philip once told Harry, "One steps out with actresses, one doesn't marry them." Then again, Vanity Fair states that Philip liked Meghan once he met her since she was an outsider just like he once was. It seems like their relationship has gone downhill since, though. So, are Meghan and Harry truly totally different people?

Contrasting Personalities

Meghan and Harry only dated a little more than a year before getting engaged. Some have argued that they are just not a perfect match for each other; after all, they both tend to have very different personalities. But opposites attract, right?

Harry is often described as a warm, nurturing, and kind person, similar to his mother, the late Princess Diana. He may be a rebel compared to the rest of the royal family, but Meghan is more intuitive, free-flowing, creative, and bubbly. We wonder if they have any regrets now since their future, especially Meghan's, is quite unclear.

Will Meghan Re-Write History?

We wonder if Meghan took the time to go through British royal history, which could've made her think a hundred times before taking the giant leap to marry Harry. If she did, she'd have known the fate of her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, who was loved by the people. However, everyone knew she wasn't happily married to Prince Charles.

It all got so overwhelming at one point that she developed bulimia. According to Cheat Sheet, actress-turned-royalty Grace Kelly had warned a then-already-engaged Diana about being married to royalty. Hopefully, Meghan's fate will never be unfortunate like theirs. But what does their own circle of friends have to say about them?

Distancing From Their Social Circles

When it comes to Prince Harry's friends, Meghan is apparently not immensely liked, as per New Idea. He lost his friend Tom "Skippy" Inskip, who suggested slowing things down with Meghan, which Harry didn't like. Even tabloids nicknamed her "Duchess Difficult" after Harry chose to compromise his social life and commit to Meghan and their son.

On the other hand, Meghan naturally distanced herself from her friend circle in the United States when she moved to England. Now that she's back, socializing can resume. She and Lizzie Cundy did cut ties, though, after the TV personality described the former star as 'manipulating.' Do you think Meghan is really that self-centered?

Does She Actually Have Manipulative Traits?

Lizzie Cundy has taken every opportunity to put down her former friend Meghan, who reportedly 'ghosted' her after getting involved with Harry. As per the Daily Mail, she has even gone as far as to claim Meghan as manipulative after tying the knot with Prince Harry in a 60 Minutes Australia interview.

Strangely, Gloria Hunniford also mentioned the same thing, after which Kéllé Bryan spoke in defense of Meghan. Furthermore, Cundy stated that her ex-friend began to show a different side of herself post-marriage. It looks like Meghan just cannot catch a break!

The Royal Rulebreaker

Meghan is more open-minded than the rest of the royal family, which is why you can often see royal experts criticizing her, especially for her wardrobe choice. We guess there's a reason people call her the royal rulebreaker.

The 39-year-old has gone barefoot on Bondi Beach, Australia, fashioned dark nail lacquer at the 2018 Fashion Awards, and showed legs by wearing an above-knee-length skirt at the Victoria Palace Theatre and going all-black. The list goes on. At least, now she can wear anything she desires with no worries. But did you ever wonder what she did as a duchess? Well, we'll tell you some then...

Duties As A Duchess

If Meghan thought that life after marrying Harry would be smooth-sailing, stress-free, and simple, she was in for a massive surprise. In fact, it was the opposite of all those things. Suddenly, memorizing the scripts of Suits felt so much easier after learning her new duties and responsibilities.

According to Elle, a duchess's job includes "public duties that support the monarch's work and efforts." It would involve attending public and royal events and touring and representing the British Monarchy internationally. They sound a lot more challenging than an actress's job, but she has always had this fascination with the royal family, anyway.

On The Lookout For A "Renowned English Man”

We're not sure if Meghan Markle ever really sat down and analyzed the pros and cons of marrying her current husband. But seeing as her former friend Lizzie Cundy reportedly said that Meghan was looking for someone British and famous, according to the Daily Mail, it's a win-win. She even added that she showed Meghan footballer Ashley Cole's photo, but she ruled him out due to his bad reputation.

But if Harry's position in society and accent were the only reasons for her marriage, there's definitely something wrong there. Either way, she got to marry someone who is as British and famous as they come!

Rumored Blast From The Past

When a person has that awkward conversation about their exes, they can miss one or two lovers. It is especially the case if the list is long and the girlfriend/boyfriend was insignificant—perhaps a fling. According to The Sun, Meghan claimed that the former professional footballer, Ashley Cole, practically begged her for a date.

The claim was soon indicted as being "nonsense" by Ashley's brother Matty since one of them has to come forward with the truth and some proof. We wonder how Harry handled the rumors about the man who tried to win his wife's heart before he married her...

Fixated On Royalty

Sometimes, with the way Meghan expresses herself, you'd think she knew very little of the British Monarch and was new to the whole concept of a royal family. Well, she did openly mention her lack of knowledge about Prince Harry after their engagement. However, her estranged childhood best friend, Ninaki Priddy, says otherwise.

According to Express, Priddy revealed that Meghan has been obsessed with the royal family since she was a kid. She elaborated that Meghan intended to be Diana 2.0 and that this was all part of her diabolical plan. As it appears, Meghan had no shortage of haters, antagonizing her new life as royalty...

Not Many Fans On Her Side

Before her grand wedding with Prince Harry, Meghan somehow received great appreciation and support from the British people and folks worldwide. However, things began to go downhill after several incidents happened post-marriage. According to Micky, her dismissal of people from her life, like ex-husband Trevor Engelson, altered the public's perception.

Furthermore, Meghan's falling out with her father, Thomas Markle, and dispute with half-sister Samantha also contributed to the hate buildup. The fact that some of her own friends have criticized her doesn't help either. Somehow, things hit rock bottom with Megxit, with Harry losing so much from it, including his older brother, Prince William.

Bad Blood Between Siblings

Relationships may come and go, but siblings are forever. Since Prince William and Prince Harry's mother passed away in 1997, they have been by each other's side through everything. The siblings always had each other's back, which is why William was not thrilled when his brother decided to step back from his royal duties all of a sudden.

The decision made by Meghan and Harry earlier in 2020 caused so much disagreement between the two brothers that they didn't talk for two months. The royal expert Robert Lacey told The Daily Beast that Meghan and Kate's competition for attention also created friction between the siblings.

Blending The Two Families Seem Impossible

By now, you have repeatedly witnessed the fallouts Meghan has had with Harry's family members over the years. Even though they now live in a different continent, she still has to keep face with the royals. However, Megxit has made it that much harder to accomplish.

When it comes to Meghan's own family, she's had an even rougher time getting along with them, particularly her father and half-sister. The latter has been bad-mouthing Meghan since she became involved with Harry, and fans have defended the duchess in this case. Since she has most of her family off, Harry doesn't have to put up with them or try to blend in.

Culture Shock In The Royal Family

Many people may believe that Meghan and Harry's cultural differences place them far from being the perfect couple. However, it's 2020, and people need to loosen up a little. Somehow, we can't deny that the cultural differences are still there, though.

As many of you may already know, Meghan is a byproduct of an interracial couple. Her mother, Doria Ragland, is African-American, whereas her father, Thomas Markle, is Dutch-Irish. A person of multiple cultural backgrounds joining the royal family is quite rare. Even though every new royal member has struggles fitting in, her cultural diversity made Meghan face different adversities.

The Queen Went Easy On Meghan

Meghan was on good terms with Queen Elizabeth before marriage, which is why Her Majesty granted her leniency multiple times. Take the Royal Christmas gathering, for example. The Queen went as far as to invite Harry and Meghan to her Sandringham estate for the holiday celebration in 2017, despite the couple being unmarried then.

Furthermore, she also allowed Meghan, a divorced woman, to marry Prince Harry in a church—making it the first of its kind in the history of royal weddings. They could've built a better and stronger relationship had Meghan stuck around, don't you think?

Lost Perks After Megxit

If you decide to take a "step back" from being a senior member of the royal family and the stress and pressures that come with the title, then you can't go about expecting things for free. It falls along the lines of the phrase, "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time."

As per The List, protection of royal caliber and free royal housing (Frogmore Cottage) are some of the perks that Meghan and Harry lost after Megxit, along with losing media attention, which might be a good thing. Moreover, she lost access to the royal jewelry collection, a shame since it had some beautiful pieces.

Becoming Financially Independent Is Challenging

Although Harry and Meghan stepped down from royalty, they are still members of the British Royal Family. If there's one thing the above guarantees, it's that they will never go hungry—EVER! Together, they are said to have a net fortune of $30 million. However, the reckless spending must stop now that they moved away to be financially independent.

According to News.com.au, Meghan had a baby shower worth $550K and spent just shy of $740K for clothing (excluding her wedding gown) in 2018. Cosmopolitan reports that their latest checks went for the $14.65-million mansion acquired from Santa Barbara. They better budget down, considering they don't receive as many perks as before.

Getting Candid As A Couple

In 2019, a documentary series named Harry & Meghan: An African Journey debuted on ITV. You could see the couple opening up and sharing their struggles during the interviews. Meghan was most vocal about the media backlash she received, which was incredibly challenging during pregnancy and post-partum.

Harry also addressed rumors about the family relocating to Africa and the feud between him and William. One of the most controversial comments he made on the series is "I will not be bullied into carrying a game that killed my mum," referring to the massive media scrutiny.

The Tabloids Have A Target On Her Back

People often doubt if Harry and Meghan actively seek attention from the media. We doubt if Harry does as since he was born, he has been followed everywhere he went by the press. However, Meghan could enjoy being the center of attention, which her ex-friend Lizzie Cundy has seconded.

Perhaps there was a time she sought the attention and glory, but it now seems to be a bit much. According to The Guardian, Meghan believes that British tabloids are destroying her life, which she was warned of beforehand. She even went to mention it in the documentary series.

An Emotional Confession

In the documentary, Meghan shares the pressure and stress of being a first-time mother with Tom Bradby, the interviewer. It's obviously a learn-as-you-go process, but the horror that the media was throwing at her didn't help in any way. Meghan admitted that she wasn't okay and thanked Bradby for asking if she was.

Furthermore, she shared that she was trying her hardest to balance being a mother and a newlywed, as she was barely married for one year when Archie was born. Speaking of Archie, the family's trip to southern Africa was his first royal tour, and he seemed to have loved it, according to E! Online.

Did Meghan Force Harry To Speak Of His Late Mother?

It's no secret that Harry has been struggling with his mental health since his mother's passing. However, it wasn't until a few years ago did he start talking about it. In fact, some have even accused Meghan of forcing him to speak up about his mother's death.

However, according to Marie Claire magazine, Meghan merely encouraged him to open up on Bryony Gordon's Mad World podcast when the two were just in the dating phase of their relationship. Harry even unraveled that he sought professional help for his personal struggles in his late twenties. If this is the case, these two might just make their marriage work after all!