Meghan Markle Once Called Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy ‘Beautiful’: A ‘Shining Example’
Just one year ago, Meghan Markle openly discussed her feelings for Queen Elizabeth on the heels of the monarch’s death. She called the late queen’s legacy “beautiful” and claimed she was a “shining example.” Here, we revisit her commentary after years of turmoil between the royal family and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Meghan Markle believed Queen Elizabeth left behind a remarkable legacy
In an interview with Variety, published shortly after Queen Elizabeth’s death, Meghan Markle called the monarch’s impact a “legacy.” She cited several fronts where the queen reigned supreme.
“What’s so beautiful is to look at the legacy that [Harry’s] grandmother was able to leave on so many fronts. Certainly, in terms of female leadership, she is the most shining example of what that looks like,” Meghan stated.
Meghan Markle felt a ‘deep gratitude’ to get to know Queen Elizabeth
Due to her close relationship with Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth went out of her way to make Meghan Markle feel welcome within the royal family. Meghan’s first solo appearance with the monarch was one month after Meghan wed Harry in June 2018.
“I feel deep gratitude for having been able to spend time with her and get to know her,” Meghan said. “I’ve reflected on that first official engagement I had with her, how special that felt.”
She continued, ” I feel fortunate. And I am proud to have had a nice warmth with the family’s matriarch.”
Meghan Markle found Queen Elizabeth to be ‘inviting, and welcoming’
The Duchess of Sussex further discussed this time with Queen Elizabeth in her CBS tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey. She claimed that the monarch was “warm, inviting, and welcoming,” per the full interview transcript published by The US Sun.
“We were in the car going between engagements. She has a blanket that sits across her knees for warmth, and it was chilly,” Meghan remembered.
“And she said, ‘Meghan, come on,’ and put it over my knees. And it made me think of my grandmother, who has always been warm, inviting, and welcoming.”
This was in stark contrast to Meghan’s other commentary regarding the monarch. She described herself as incredibly nervous about meeting Queen Elizabeth during a lunch at the Royal Lodge.
She relayed a story about how she and Harry were going to the lodge when he dropped the news that she would be meeting the queen. “He says, ‘OK, well my grandmother is there, you’re going to meet her,'” Meghan explained.
In reply, Meghan stated, “(I said) ‘OK, great’. I loved my grandmother; I used to take care of my grandmother. (He said) ‘Do you know how to curtsey?’ ‘What?’ ‘Do you know how to curtsey?’”
The former Suits star had the impression that formality only happened on the outside and was part of the royal fanfare. “I didn’t think that’s what happens inside. I go, ‘But it’s your grandmother’. He goes, ‘It’s the Queen!’”
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry officially left their roles as senior royal family members in March 2020. They reside in Montecito, CA, with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
