Meghan Markle’s life was never the same after marrying Prince Harry. When she first met the prince, she didn’t know what being a royal is like; however, after only a few months of dating, Meghan’s privacy disappeared, and her life completely changed.
After officially becoming royalty, Meghan was forced to leave her television series Suits, delete her social media accounts, and even dress differently. “I tried to warn you as much as possible,” Prince Harry even told her after announcing their engagement during a BBC interview. Yet, it never set in for Meghan until months after their marriage began.
Between the paparazzi following her around to finally deciding to cut ties with the royal family, Meghan has been through a lot since her royal wedding in 2018. Yet, she’s always been about following her heart — it did lead her to Prince Harry, after all. “I don’t sit around thinking about my titles and roles,” she once told Ebony. “I just do what feels right.”
Here are a few reasons why Meghan Markle’s life was never the same after marrying Prince Harry.
Meghan Markle became a mother
After trying to keep her pregnancy and delivery as private as possible, in May 2019, the royal family announced that Meghan Markle had become a mother. Standing beside her husband holding their baby Archie, it was obvious that Meghan was made for motherhood. “It’s pretty amazing,” she gushed to The Washington Post. “I mean, I have the two best guys in the entire world, so I’m really happy.”
But ever since his birth, the public hasn’t seen much of Meghan and Prince Harry’s little guy. The couple have kept their son out of the spotlight as much as possible to give their new family a sense of normalcy. In fact, even though Archie is seventh in line for the throne, he’s never even been formally presented with a royal title (via Time).
While the royal pair does their best to keep their private life out of the press, they’ve managed to stay occupied behind-the-scenes chasing around their son. “He’s just so busy. He’s all over the place!” Meghan told The Evening Standard. “He keeps us on our toes!”
Meghan Markle realized royalty is not for her
While many of us can only dream of becoming royalty, Meghan Markle has made it clear that it’s not the life for her. In January 2020, Meghan and Prince Harry publicly announced that they would be stepping back from the royal family on their royal Instagram page. The duo’s decision came after careful consideration, as they both had an intense desire for privacy — especially for their newborn son, Archie.
Even prior to their royal wedding back in May 2018, Meghan admitted that she had no idea what she was getting into. “I didn’t have any understanding of what it would be like,” she told BBC News.
News of the couple’s engagement alone was enough to cause controversy for the young American actress. Then, over the next few years, the extreme pressures and lack of privacy really took a toll on Meghan. Luckily, the love of her life was there supporting her at her side, and together, the two decided to put the royal life behind them. “When you take all those extra layers away and all that noise, I think it makes it really easy to enjoy being together,” Markle added.
Meghan Markle has had drama with her dad
Though Meghan Markle’s parents split up when she was only 6 years old, they’ve both always had a special place in her heart (via Good Morning Britain). This made it even more unbearable when Meghan’s father wasn’t able to walk her down the aisle at her wedding. “Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding,” Meghan said in a statement. “I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health.”
Unfortunately, drama quickly ensued. The media got involved, questioning if he was even in bad health and described her father in a negative way. Eventually, he himself worked with the paparazzi to stage photos of himself in order to increase his image. He also took interviews with outlets and spilled some of his daughter’s secrets.
In 2019, a private letter Meghan had reportedly written her father was exposed to the public following her wedding. In it, she explained how her father had never even told her about his health problems. “Your actions have broken my heart into a million pieces,” she wrote (via the Daily Mail).
Meghan Markle has gotten caught up with the paparazzi
The paparazzi has, unfortunately, been responsible for Meghan Markle’s problems since getting married. Even before she became an official part of the royal family, her engagement was enough to cause cameras to start following her. “There’s a misconception that because I have worked in the entertainment industry that this would be something I would be familiar with,” the duchess told BBC News, but unfortunately, that certainly wasn’t the case.
Before marrying Prince Harry, countless numbers of Meghan’s British friends warned her that the tabloids there “will destroy your life,” she explained on ITV News. At the time, Meghan admitted, “I didn’t get it.”
Over the years, Meghan and her husband have pressed countless charges against various tabloids. In January 2020, however, the press crossed the line after taking photos of their young son at a waterpark. “This settlement is a clear signal that unlawful, invasive, and intrusive paparazzi behavior will not be tolerated,” the couple’s law firm stated (via Entertainment Tonight). “And that the couple takes these matters seriously — just as any family would.” In December 2020, Meghan and Prince Harry won the case.
Meghan Markle has not been okay
Getting married completely changes anyone’s life, but when the royal family is involved, it can have an even bigger impact. “You add this on top of just trying to be a new mom, or trying to be a newlywed,” Meghan Markle explained to ITV News. “It’s…” and then she stopped. At a loss for words, Meghan became aware that the reporter was asking her if she was alright. “Thank you for asking,” she said. “Because not many people have asked if I’m okay.”
Meghan’s words quickly resonated with the world. Her response to the reporter went viral, and people all over seemed to have more empathy for the duchess.
Not only did the interview affect how the public perceives Meghan, but those three words, “Are you okay?” have stuck with her ever since. “I realized that the only way to begin to heal is to first ask, ‘Are you OK?'” She wrote in a moving essay she penned for The New York Times in November 2020. In it, Meghan explains how that simple question helped her to get through her traumatic miscarriage, as well as many other dark moments in her life.
Meghan Markle has lived all over the world
Meghan Markle was raised around the entertainment industry, so it never made sense for her to leave Los Angeles. “I’m a California girl,” she once told Esquire — until she met Prince Harry. After joining the ranks of royalty in 2018, she’s since lived all the world. Meghan moved into Kensington Palace in London with her new husband before making a move into Frogmore Cottage after the birth of their son, Archie.
When Meghan and Prince Harry announced they’d be splitting from the royal family in 2020, she moved herself and her husband back to North America; they settled down in Canada, where Meghan had filmed Suits for seven years. “I am an adopted Canuck now,” she added.
However, Meghan must have been a bit homesick, as reports began circulating that she and Prince Harry were living in the states. In August 2020, People announced that Prince Harry and Meghan had secretly purchased a home in Santa Barbara, California. Though Meghan strives for privacy, she did confirm that she was stateside once again. “It’s good to be home,” she said in an interview with The 19th.
Meghan Markle's net worth has skyrocketed
When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry split from the royal family, they were no longer splitting money with them, either. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent,” they shared in a statement. Clearly they’ve found a way to make it work, as Meghan and Prince Harry’s net worth continues to skyrocket.
In September 2020, Meghan and Prince Harry signed a deal with Netflix reportedly worth $150 million. Additionally, the two signed a contract with Spotify that’s allegedly worth between $35 million and $75 million. That’s not all they have in the pipeline, either. Experts even estimate that, over the next few years, Meghan and Prince Harry’s various deals could make them worth nearly $10 billion (via Newsweek). It’s not a bad number, considering the entire royal family is reportedly worth $88 billion, according to Forbes.
Yet, for Meghan, it’s never been about the money. While still starring on Suits, fans would see her “in $5,000 Tom Ford skirts, but that’s not what I have in my closet at home,” she confessed to Ebony. “I never want to lose touch with reality.”
Meghan Markle has picked up some British slang
Meghan Markle has undergone a stunning transformation. Ever since she and Prince Harry got married, Prince Harry’s British accent has reportedly rubbed off on Meghan. According to her staff in the states, Meghan has picked up quite a few English phrases that surprised them all at first. “Her staff think it’s amusing to listen to an American celebrity using Britishisms,” a source admitted to The Sun. “She’s often heard saying, ‘Oh dahling,’ to people at home.”
Crazy enough, the American actress even made headlines for it back in 2018. Less than two months after her royal wedding, outlets were reporting that Meghan had acquired a British accent while speaking with a crowd in London (via Entertainment Tonight). However, Meghan probably never even knew the media was making a big deal about it. “I made the choice to not read anything — positive or negative. It just didn’t make sense,” she told BBC News. “And instead, we just focused all our energy on nurturing our relationship” — and teaching each other tons of British and American sayings, of course!
Meghan Markle has a lot more speaking engagements
Meghan Markle has always been known for her activism. When she gained a massive international platform after marrying Prince Harry, she had even more speaking engagements on the horizon. “Once you have access, or a voice, that people are willing to listen to, with that comes a lot of responsibility,” she told BBC News. “Which I take seriously.” Meghan takes this so seriously that she and her husband signed with a speaking agency in the states once they split from the royal family.
Harry Walker Agency represents big names such as the Obamas and Oprah Winfrey. Just like these celebrities, an agent there will connect Meghan with opportunities to act as a keynote speaker at charitable events and moderated conversations. Some of the subjects near and dear to Meghan’s heart include racial injustice, female empowerment, mental health, environmentalism, and encouraging people to vote (via Observer). “It’s something that I look forward to being a part of,” she told The 19th. “And being a part of using my voice in a way I haven’t been able to of late,” since she was unable to comment on politics as part of the royal family.
Meghan Markle's sense of style has changed
Ever since she got married to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle’s life has certainly changed, and her sense of style has too. After all, when you become royalty, you’re required to dress like it. Yet, even though there are loads of rules when it comes to dressing properly as a royal, Meghan has always seemed to have an impact on her own look. “Personal style is really about what makes you feel confident and beautiful,” she explained to Reitmans TV.
According to Elle, Meghan has broken quite a few of the royal rules over the years too. For example, one of the pieces Meghan has been spotted in often is a two piece suit. Women from the royal family are asked to wear them sparingly and turn to skirts instead (which is kind of silly considering Meghan spent seven years on the television series Suits). However, wearing these matching pieces — whether they include a blazer and pants or not — is something Meghan really enjoys. “Tone on tone is not just for the Queen,” she once said — long before the Queen became her grandmother-in-law.
Meghan Markle's entertainment career has taken off
After marrying Prince Harry, Meghan Markle wasn’t allowed to hold any other professional roles — so the moment her wedding was planned, she waved goodbye to her job on Suits. However, when she split from the royal family in January 2020, Meghan was quick to enter again into the entertainment industry. In fact, even before leaving the royal family, Meghan secretly voiced a documentary for Disney (via Entertainment Tonight). Now, her career is better than ever.
In August 2020, Meghan signed a multi-year deal with Netflix, and even created her own production company with Prince Harry as her producing partner. “Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope,” they said in a statement (via The New York Times). The couple knows an opportunity with Netflix will supply them with a worldwide audience that “will help us share impactful content that unlocks action,” they added.
Funny enough, Meghan’s co-stars on Suits have referenced her success onscreen after she left the show. When asked how Meghan’s character was doing, her co-star Patrick J. Adams replied, “If I told you how good, you probably wouldn’t believe me” (via Twitter).
Meghan Markle started her own foundation
Activism has always been an important part of Meghan Markle’s life. Now that she’s married Prince Harry, “the causes that have been really important to me, I can focus even more energy on,” she told BBC News. Additionally, soon after they split from the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan announced that they’d been focusing on creating their very own foundation called Archewell.
In December 2020, Archewell’s first call to action began. They started collaborating with World Center Kitchen, an organization that helps feed families during natural disasters. While those sites get up and running around the globe, Meghan and Prince Harry have been busy volunteering themselves (via People). The two have never been afraid to head to the front lines when it comes to their charitable work. “Our commitment to the causes that we have really worked towards for a long time, well before we’d known each other, are unwavering,” Meghan told Time, and it sure shows!
Meghan Markle doesn't use social media anymore
While many celebrities use social media to spread information, Meghan Markle isn’t about that life — and it’s not just because royals aren’t allowed to use it. Being online can have lasting negative impacts on a person, something Meghan noticed throughout her work with female empowerment initiatives (via Time).
Meghan did have a personal social media account while working on Suits. However, once she married Prince Harry, the media began to be filled with many harmful headlines about her. Social media ended up having a much bigger impact on her than she realized. “For my own self-preservation, I have not been on social media for a very long time,” she admitted to Fortune.
Many of us couldn’t even imagine waking up and not logging onto our social media feeds to see what’s going on in the world. Meghan, on the other hand, doesn’t need to see what other people are saying about her. “I don’t know what’s out there,” she said. “And in many ways that’s helpful for me.”
Meghan Markle has had to deal with a lot more criticism
Unfortunately, joining the royal family comes with a lot of increased scrutiny and criticism. Even during Meghan Markle’s engagement to Prince Harry, the things people were saying about her were harsh — and many of them were lies. “We were just hit so hard at the beginning with a lot of mistruths,” she explained to BBC News. Yet, Meghan has dealt with a lot more of it since she and Prince Harry cut ties with the royal family.
To avoid any misinterpretations from the media, Meghan has tried her best to explain herself. “I try to be very clear with what I say, and not make it controversial,” she told Fortune, but sometimes that’s just not enough. Even her own father, who knows her more than most people, has made critical comments about her choice to live independently away from the U.K. (via BBC).
In the end, everyone has to remember that it’s Meghan who has to live her own life. “At the end of the day, I’m really just proud of who I am and where I come from,” she added.
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