An upcoming book by a royal biographer has revealed the mean nickname the late Prince Philip gave his grandson’s wife, Meghan Markle.
The excerpt from the memoir also shared more details about how the late Queen Elizabeth II allegedly felt about Meghan and her treatment in the royal family.
Amid the recent slew of criticisms plaguing the royal couple, Prince Harry and Meghan have several upcoming projects to look forward to, including a film with Netflix, and are anticipating a successful year.
Prince Philip Had A Mean Nickname For Meghan Markle
An excerpt from an upcoming book by Royal Biographer Ingrid Seward has revealed the shocking and mean nickname Prince Philip had for the Duchess of Sussex. Philip passed on in 2021 at the age of 99, and according to Seward, he used to call Meghan the “Duchess of Windsor.”
The nickname is a reference to the title held by American socialite Wallis Simpson. She was the infamous U.S. divorcée who married Edward VIII in 1937 after he controversially abdicated the throne for her.
In her book, “My Mother and I,” Seward claims that Philip always said the resemblance between Meghan and Simpson was “uncanny.” She wrote, per NYP, “He wasn’t simply referring to the fact that both were pencil-slim, dark-haired and glamorous American divorcées.”
One major similarity between Meghan and Simpson is that they were divorced women before marrying into royalty. Meghan was married to a film producer, Trevor Engelson, from 2011 to 2014, and she eventually started dating Harry in 2016.
The Royal Biographer Spoke On How The Late Queen Treated Meghan Markle
In the excerpt, Seward also revealed more about Queen Elizabeth II’s attitude towards Meghan. She claimed that the late monarch was initially nice and accepting of the former actress and even “approved” when Harry introduced them in 2017.
However, trouble started brewing at the couple’s wedding in 2018, as Queen Elizabeth believed Meghan’s wedding dress was “too white” for a divorcee.
The couple’s decision to resign as senior members of the Royal family in 2020 further complicated their relationship with the late monarch and the rest of the royal family, especially his father, King Charles III.
Seward compared their decision to step back and move with their kids to California to Edward VIII’s exit from the Royal family. At the time, after falling in love with Simpson and abdicating his throne, Edward fled to France with her to start a new life.
Prince Harry Was Previously Compared To Edward VIII
Royal expert Hugo Vickers had previously compared Harry to the late Edward VIII. During a 2022 interview at the Henley Literary Festival, Vickers said both Royal men are more alike than Harry might think. He said they both “radiated the same sadness after cutting their links with the royal family.”
Vickers claimed he could tell Harry and Edward’s true feelings by “looking into their eyes.”
He explained that just like his predecessor, Harry “took the path of perceived happiness” and chose Meghan but failed to find true happiness “in the end, as it’s [a] duty that makes you happy.”
Regarding Harry’s future with Meghan, Vickers said it’s doubtful he might find joy outside the Royal family. He added, “As for the Duke of Sussex, who knows what’s going to happen to him? I think he looks thoroughly miserable.”
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Have Several Upcoming Projects
Despite the sentiment that Harry is “miserable,” he and Meghan seem to be doing well with multiple projects in the works for 2024. After their exit from the royal family, the couple signed an estimated $100 million deal with streaming giant Netflix to produce various content with their Archewell Production company.
Since the deal began, the Duke and Duchess have released projects like their 2022 docuseries “Harry & Meghan,” the 2022 documentary “Live to Lead,” and the 2023 documentary “Heart of Invictus.” In late 2023, it was confirmed that the couple got the rights to the famous romance novel, “Meet Me at the Lake,” and are adapting it into a film for Netflix.
According to Hello Magazine, Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s CCO, spoke about the couple’s upcoming projects at the recent Next on Netflix event. She said, “They have a couple of unscripted things they’re working on with Brandon Reigg. And they actually have like a bunch of development, they have a movie in development, a [scripted] series that they’re working on…”
The Sussexes recently made a surprise appearance at the premiere of the Bob Marley biopic, “Bob Marley: One Love,” where they met with Jamaican dignitaries, such as Prime Minister Andrew Holness. Harry and Meghan also reportedly flew to the event on a private jet provided by film studio, Paramount.