Meghan Markle has proven to be a very divisive figure. On one hand, she is a popular actress who turned into an actual British duchess. On the other hand, her rise to fame and royalty has left a lot of destruction and busted relationships in her wake.
You may not have heard about that destruction because the royal family likes to keep things “hush hush.” Fortunately, we’ve got the full lowdown on the shady side of Meghan Markle.
Meghan and Harry are actually cousins
If you read about someone marrying their cousin, you’re likelier to think about Alabama than England. Nonetheless, it looks like Meghan is actually related to her husband Prince Harry!
When British tabloid The Daily Mail looked into the genealogy of Meghan and Harry, they made a surprising discovery. It seems as if the two are cousins going all the way back to the 15th century!
Supporters of Markle may downplay this, but this is one of those cases where the old jokes about royalty happen to be true. But it’s not the biggest reason to worry about Meghan and Harry’s marriage.
Meghan and the Queen allegedly fought over a tiara
When it comes to royalty, “the buck stops here” when it comes to the Queen. So, when American Meghan Markle married into the British royal family, everyone had a simple question: how well will she get along with the Queen?
According to an inside scoop reported on The Sun, the two allegedly clashed over her wedding details. Specifically, Markle had her heart set on an emerald tiara for the ceremony. The Queen, however, was concerned that they could not verify exactly where the emerald tiara originated from.
Eventually, the Queen had to lay down the law to Prince Harry: “Meghan cannot have whatever she wants. She gets what tiara she’s given by me,” she allegedly said. In that way, the Queen had to reiterate something most Americans hear at a very young age: you get what you get and you don’t pitch a fit!
Meghan’s first marriage fell apart
One of the big reasons Markle is so controversial is that she has been married before, to director Trevor Engelson. What happened to that first marriage? Meghan’s childhood friend Ninaki Priddy told The Daily Mail it fell apart because of distance while Meghan was working on the TV series Suits. “‘I knew they fought sometimes, but it wasn’t anything huge. The only obstacle was the distance because she was living in Toronto and Trevor was based in LA.”
“Once she decides you’re not part of her life, she can be very cold,” Priddy added. “I don’t believe she gave him enough of an opportunity. I think there was an element of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ for Meghan. The way she handled it, Trevor definitely had the rug pulled out from under him. He was hurt.”
Meghan may have been a bridezilla
It’s only natural for a bride to want her wedding to be perfect. However, some brides cross the line into bridezilla territory. Sadly, it looks like this may have happened to Markle.
Her wedding was scheduled for St. George’s Chapel. It seemed perfect: the location has been a British icon and a place for royal ceremonies dating back to the 15th century.
However, Markle allegedly thought the place had a nasty smell. She wanted to spray the entire area with air fresheners before the ceremony. According to The Daily Mail, the duchess-to-be had to be informed that the only thing offensive about the chapel was her request.
Meghan allegedly reduced an assistant to tears
If you want the real lowdown on royalty, you need to ask the help. In Markle’s case, that’s very difficult… because she keeps driving her royal aides away!
Markle has had several different aides quit within a matter of months. What is sending them away?
According to the Mirror, it all comes down to Markle’s outrageous demands, which they claim caused her personal assistant Melissa Toubati to quit after six months. They also alleged that Markle had reduced Toubati to tears and would email staff demands at 5 a.m.
It seems like the Duchess is throwing her royal weight around and rocking the entire royal boat.
Meghan is estranged from her own family
Meghan’s parents Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle divorced when she was young. While Meghan is close to her mother, her relationship with her father and older half-siblings Thomas Markle Jr. and Samantha Grant has been described as estranged.
Meghan’s father was notably absent from her wedding, reportedly not attending due to recovering from a heart attack. “I regretted it because I really wanted to walk her down the aisle,” he told Good Morning Britain.
Meghan has suffered poor publicity from the fallout between her and her family. She and Harry even went so far as to sue the tabloids for publishing a personal letter she wrote to her father.
Meanwhile, Meghan’s estranged family members continue to be a constant source of embarrassment to her with their interviews that paint her in an unflattering light.
“I refuse to stay quiet. What riles me is Meghan’s sense of superiority,” her father said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
Meghan allegedly made Kate Middleton cry
Driving away the hired help is bad enough. But what about driving away your own sister?
Kate Middleton is now Markle’s sister-in-law. Obviously, Middleton and her family were destined to play a big role in Markle’s wedding.
However, an alleged argument between the two women broke out when Middleton’s daughter Princess Charlotte was being fitted for a bridesmaid dress. The Mirror alleged that Markle made Kate Middleton break down crying.
Not a great start to a royal relationship!
Meghan had a falling out with her maid of honor
Markle’s childhood friend Ninaki Priddy has been a source of interesting info about Markle. And much of it paints a picture of Markle as a ruthless social climber.
According to Priddy, who was Meghan’s maid of honor at her first wedding, fame absolutely transformed Markle into another person. Her friendship with Priddy appears to have ended when Markle divorced first husband Trevor Engelson and Priddy took Engelson’s side.
Looking back, Priddy told The Daily Mail, “All I can say now is that I think Meghan was calculated — very calculated — in the way she handled people and relationships. She is very strategic in the way she cultivates circles of friends. Once she decides you’re not part of her life, she can be very cold.”