Every aspect of Meghan Markle’s life has been a head turner and a huge attention grabber, be it on paper, the media, or raving social media wars! It seems like Meghan is on many well-known people’s blacklist, and there are often cold wars or recurring spats among them.
As they say, ‘It’s lonely at the top,’ which is no different for the Duchess of Sussex. In fact, Meghan seems to have burned way more bridges than you’d expect on her way to royalty. Some of them are as close as her family members, and many of them aren’t too shy to share their reservations on the new royal. Of course, we love both Meghan and many of these celebs, so here’s hoping they can find a way to reconcile and put these differences behind them. Until then, it’s hard to figure out whether it’s envy or just pure disagreeableness; maybe we’ll never know! But we’ve laid out the backstories as they’re told in popular media, and you can decide whom you’d root for.
Meghan and Princess Eugenie
It’s fair to say that every family has the odd squabble over who takes priority, and it seems the royal family is no exception. Apparently hoping to marry her fiancé Jack Brooksbank in September 2018, Princess Eugenie was allegedly forced to change the date. Royal sources blamed Meghan’s diary, claiming her plans took precedence.
We can see how this could cause a rift and Eugenie could feel put out! All we know is that Prince Harry and Meghan were among the hundreds of stylishly dressed guests that attended the second royal wedding of the year at Windsor Castle in October.
Stealing the Limelight?
A bride should feel like a princess on her special day. We know Eugenie would have felt like the princess she is on her wedding day and she certainly looked the part. So, we can only imagine her response when the most eagerly anticipated story of the year, that Meghan was expecting a new royal baby, was announced at her wedding reception.
Brides are expected to be the center of attention, and as Meghan’s decision to reveal her exciting news on Princess Eugenie’s wedding day shifted the attention away from Eugenie, we can understand how this might have affected their relationship!
Meghan and Trevor Engelson
Before Meghan married her prince and joined the royal family, she was married to American film producer, Trevor Engelson. Having met and lived together for years before tying the knot in Jamaica in 2011, their marriage only lasted 18 months.
They had married just as Meghan’s career was taking off, and when they separated, blaming ‘irreconcilable differences’, it seems that Trevor may have taken the split more to heart than his former bride. It’s not unusual for divorcing couples to be less than amicable, and it appears that this was the case for Meghan and her first husband!
Moving On
As Meghan found new love with Prince Harry, sixth in line to the British throne, Engleson apparently found it harder to move on. Royal biographer Andrew Morton claims he only realized their relationship was over when Meghan’s wedding ring arrived in the post. What a way to end a marriage!
We don’t know if this is true or not, but it might explain why Meghan’s ex has preferred to stay silent on the details of their split. Engelson remarried in 2019 and we hope he has found his own fairy tale ending!
Meghan and Thomas Markle Sr.
Father-daughter relationships are not always easy, and Meghan has a complicated history with her dad, Thomas Markle Senior. Meghan’s parents divorced when she was only two, and she has two half-siblings from his first marriage. His family claims the star abandoned them as she became more famous, with both Meghan and Thomas Sr. insisting they were the ones to fund her college years.
Relations during the run-up to the royal wedding became more fraught, with allegations that the bride's father was attempting to manipulate the press with staged paparazzi photos. Whatever the full truth, it’s clear the two are not on the best of terms.
Missed the Nuptials
Despite their problems, it was generally expected that Meghan’s father would attend the wedding and be the one to give her away. With Markle Sr. and his other children embarrassing the royal couple in the press, Meghan seemed to distance herself from him.
However, it came as a shock when it was reported that Thomas was not invited to the wedding! With the papers still speculating on whether he would attend, Meghan’s father suffered a heart attack. As he recovered in the US, Meghan’s big day went ahead without him, and Harry’s father, Prince Charles, walked her down the aisle instead.
Meghan and Wendy Williams
Whether you like it or not, Wendy Williams will voice out her opinion about anything and anyone. She doesn’t care about what people think of her either! The TV host took her famous eye-roll to the next level when Meghan got engaged to Prince Harry in 2017, and as expected, she has something to say about the upcoming union.
Williams talked about the royal couple in one of her show’s episodes and called Meghan a ‘wild card’ at some point. She didn’t exactly expound on what she meant by that comment, but many people know she didn’t think the duchess was a suitable match for the prince!
From Model to Princess
It seems Wendy Williams is not done letting everyone know what she thinks about Harry’s beloved! The host revealed how Meghan once applied to be a model on ‘The Wendy Williams Show’ before she and the prince met but sadly failed to get the part.
Interestingly enough, that incident led to working in Meghan’s favor considering her current status. Maybe Williams didn’t believe the young starlet was worthy at the time, but her luck has changed! Who would have thought that a former ‘briefcase girl’ from ‘Deal or No Deal’ would end up marrying a handsome possible future monarch?
Meghan and Erin Foster
Erin Foster is known for her funny antics onscreen, mostly for doing several spoofs about other famous personalities. Sometimes the jokes can be pretty harmless, but there are also times when they're not! Many of her comedic affairs come from the show 'Barely Famous,' where she is coincidentally a writer.
When Meghan and Harry revealed their engagement to the world, Foster noticed and reminded everyone of how the future duchess was once a gameshow girl. The blonde comedienne posted an old picture of Meghan holding a briefcase with a cheeky caption that said, 'Never forget.' Maybe, she just needs to forget about it herself!
She’s on Top of the World
Uh-oh, it looks like there’s one more photo courtesy of Erin Foster that placed Meghan Markle in the spotlight once again! The comedienne uploaded another old picture of the duchess during her game show stint with ‘Deal or No Deal’ accompanied by a controversial caption that said, ‘This briefcase is filled with my plans to be famous.’
Meghan’s life story is comparable to a fairy tale, where a regular girl became a princess overnight after she fell in love with a prince. Perhaps, some people just have all the luck in the world, and Foster needs to accept Meghan is one of them!
Meghan and Camilla Parker Bowles
It is no surprise that each royal family member had their opinions when Harry and Meghan announced their engagement; any family would because a wedding, big or small, is a pretty big deal. Still, it seems like some of them had extreme opinions about the news.
According to reports, Camilla Parker Bowles was not too fond of the pairing. Apparently, she disliked the fact that Meghan was American and a divorcee! Despite being divorced herself, even the Duchess of Cornwall thought that Prince Harry's choice of a bride was not that great.
Endless Issues
Although some reports claim that Camilla Parker Bowles and Meghan got along alright, others say not. The former does not shy away from stating her opinions and continually pointing out her latest Royal's flaws.
Camilla was visibly shocked when the Queen gave her blessings to the couple and gave permission to continue their wedding plans. In addition to that, she was also surprised that Prince Harry chose to get a ring for Meghan that showcased diamonds from Princess Diana's collection. Maybe things between them are better now since the young couple has given up their roles as senior working Royals.
Meghan and Kate Hawkesby
Meghan Markle was already a well-known star before she tied the knot with Harry, but it’s evident the marriage made her the talk of the town for many reasons. Opinions about the dark-haired royal sprout wherever she goes, and most are from people she hasn’t met yet.
One prime example of this is Kate Hawkesby of ‘Early Edition,’ a TV host who expressed her disdain for the duchess based on how she was portrayed in the media. She believed, by all accounts, that Meghan wasn’t telling the whole truth about herself. Well, she might need to talk to the royal herself and set the records straight!
Trust Issues All-Around
Kate Hawkesby’s doubts toward Meghan presumably began when her relationship with Harry started. When Meghan admitted how she initially didn’t realize Harry was a prince when they got acquainted, Hawkesby was among the first to raise her eyebrows and say that couldn’t possibly be true!
Since Harry is a public figure whose family dates back to hundreds of years in history, it would be highly unusual for a celeb like Meghan to not know him. Aside from that, Hawkesby thought that Meghan’s arrival to the monarchy would disrupt royal traditions. Too bad she can’t do anything about it, though.
Meghan and Katy Perry
The bride is undeniably the center of attention in every wedding, which is why picking the perfect dress is often a big decision for most women. So, imagine how much more difficult it was for Meghan and her historical nuptials - everything had to be perfect under the watchful eyes of the public.
But pop icon Katy Perry was one of the million observers who couldn’t help but voice out her thoughts on Meghan’s garb when she walked down the aisle. The singer suggested that the duchess’ dress probably required an extra fitting session or two – yikes!
The Wedding Gown Debacle
Rivalry, whether at home, work, or even at the palace, will always be a part of life. In this case, Katy Perry added fuel to the royal fire after she made a comment about how Kate Middleton’s wedding gown looked way better than Meghan Markle’s.
Markle may hail from the same homeland as the ‘Thinking of You’ singer, but perhaps they just don’t have the same taste in style. Let’s hope the duchess and Perry won’t cross paths anytime soon – no one likes the most important outfit of their life being picked apart by a stranger!
Meghan and Pippa Middleton
As someone newly inducted to Britain’s monarchy, one would expect people to talk about Meghan Markle’s relationship with some of her in-laws, particularly the Middletons. According to some insiders, Harry’s bride is having some challenges when it comes to bonding with her new family, especially with Pippa – the future Queen of England’s younger sister.
The bad blood stems from Pippa, who’s been giving the duchess the cold shoulder for quite some time. No one knows exactly why there’s a grudge between the two, but apparently, it has to do with Meghan intervening between the Middleton sisters.
A Royal Hindrance to the Sisterhood
Even if one isn’t royalty, there’s always going to be an issue between siblings at some point. Kate and Pippa are the quintessential examples of a beautiful sisterhood – that is, until Meghan came into the picture. It turns out the duchess is allegedly the cause behind the sisters’ fall out.
In Kate’s defense, one shouldn’t blame her for spending more time with Meghan as she needs someone who could show her the ropes – Kate is the perfect teacher in this regard. Hopefully, these three lovely ladies will sort out their differences sooner rather than later!
Meghan and Ninaki Priddy
One would never picture their best friend in high school would drift away from them. And we think Meghan must be thinking the same thing as she posed in front of Buckingham palace with her childhood ride or die, Ninaki Priddy, long before Markle ever knew she could be part of the British royal family.
However, as time went on, their friendship began chipping away, and by the time Meghan announced her engagement to the most eligible bachelor in the world, there was nothing left of the pair's time-long rapport. One for love, none to friendship!
A Dream Come True
Prince Harry took the world by storm when he decided to marry Meghan, and people were quick to voice dissenting opinions on his choice of wife. The reason could be the fact that the bride-to-be was not particularly famous. Surprisingly, the Duchess's childhood bestie Ninaki had the most extreme opinion of all.
That is primarily so because she thought Meghan had been planning this her whole life! It is her notion that her former best friend was always overly interested in the royal family, and in her own words, the Duchess wanted to be the next Princess Di.
Meghan and Cory Vitiello
It was incredibly hard for Meghan to keep her relationship with Prince Harry out of the public eye. Still, before prior to meeting her now-husband, not many people were interested in her private life, so not much about it was documented. But later, the men she was romantically involved with before she met Harry began to surface.
Chef Cory Vitiello is one such gentleman she had been seeing when working on the hit TV series 'Suits.' Apparently, they had ''great chemistry'' together, but then Meghan decided to walk down the aisle with the Prince of England instead.
Engaged Over Roasted Chicken
This would come as a big surprise, but as it turns out, it has been Cory who unintentionally led Meghan to the most eligible bachelor in the entire world— the Prince of England himself. That is because it was he who introduced Markle to the big shots in the scene, who eventually set the 'Suits' star up with the Prince!
Vitiello might be regretting that decision very much now because he was dating Meghan before she became a duchess. Cory even took it upon himself to post a video of roasting chicken when the couple revealed how Harry proposed— over a dinner of grilled chicken. Not so subtle, aye?
Meghan and Katie Hopkins
British TV personality, Katie Hopkins isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and she is definitely not one to mince her words. Many people have come under fire from Hopkins, and Meghan is one of the unfortunate souls to be on the receiving end of her unabashedness.
The former ‘Apprentice’ star has regularly taken to social media to criticize the Duchess’ decisions. Recently, Hopkins scrutinized Meghan for her and husband Harry’s decision to step down from their royal duties, claiming that Meghan should do this alone and implying that the decision was not a mutual one.
Even on Her Wedding Day
A woman’s wedding day is arguably one of the most important and memorable days of her life; we think that all brides look beautiful. Meghan especially looked radiantly happy on her special day, and many loved her dress. Katie Hopkins, however, disagreed.
Taking to social media, she made a controversial post showing a photo of Meghan and Princess Kate’s gowns side by side. Hopkins clearly preferred the Duchess of Cambridge’s choice as she captioned the post, “You can’t buy class.” While Hopkins is entitled to her opinion, we disagree. We think both of the royal brides are equally lovely.
Meghan and Samantha Markle
We all know that sisters fight. It’s perfectly normal. But, sometimes, a falling out between families can last a lot longer than we might have ever predicted or hoped. As well as having a problematic relationship with her brother, Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan also has a strained relationship with their sister, Samantha.
Samantha and Meghan used to be close, but over the years, their bond has slowly broken down until the two are now no longer in contact. According to many, this is apparently due in part to Meghan’s problems with their dad.
The Green Eye
Siblings are often competitive and can be jealous when one seemingly achieves more than the other. This seems to be the case with Meghan and her sister. Samantha supposedly also had dreams of becoming an actress, so when Meghan became a famous TV star, she was unsurprisingly a bit bitter. This was exacerbated when the family name was put under further scrutiny after Meghan began to date Harry.
Samantha has said many hurtful things about her sister in the press that she now regrets. We hope that the two are able to build bridges and move on.
Meghan and Thomas Markle Jr
Many people are aware of Meghan Markle’s tumultuous relationship with her dad after he not only didn’t walk the princess down the aisle on her wedding day, he wasn’t even in attendance for her big day. However, he isn’t the only family member with whom things are complicated.
Some may not know that the Duchess of Sussex has two elder siblings with whom she shares a father. Sadly, like many people, Meghan, and her siblings do not see eye-to-eye and are also estranged. Meghan’s brother, Thomas Markle Jr., has been very vocal about his dislike for his sister.
Sibling Rivalry
Although Meghan has remained reasonably quiet about her family feuds, her brother Thomas has not been so reserved. He has openly spoken with the press about his feelings towards his sister. Claiming that her fame has caused him problems with getting a job and that sharing her surname is something he considers a misfortune.
Shockingly, Meghan’s older brother even went so far as to contact Harry, her then-fiancé, to tell him to call off the wedding. Luckily, Harry seems to have disregarded this advice as the couple is now happily married with a son.
Meghan and the Queen
If there is one person you must please when you decide to marry into the royal family, it is Her Majesty the Queen herself. However, unfortunately for Meghan, she did not quite manage that, mostly since recently the Duchess and her husband, Prince Harry, have decided to give up their titles and step down as senior working royals.
It is no surprise that the Queen was saddened and was planning on keeping the news of the story off-air until things worked out for the better. But that didn't happen; if anything, the news spread like wildfire in both print and electronic media alike.