Meghan Markle’s Former Friend Says Their Relationship Went ‘From Friendship to Silence’ After Prince Harry Proposed
Meghan Markle was once an ordinary American actor — that was, until she met Prince Harry. From there, she became the Duchess of Sussex, and one half of one of the world’s most famous couples. Meghan’s life was far different before she married into the royal family, and though she’s done her best to distance herself from her husband’s royal roots, her life will never be the same.
One woman who once considered herself a friend of Meghan’s said she quickly realized Meghan was out of her life forever after the prince popped the question.
Meghan Markle had a more ordinary life before meeting Prince Harry
Before Meghan skyrocketed to royal fame, she certainly had a fan base, though she more of a low-key celebrity than a household name. Meghan was an actress who starred in the USA Network show Suits, so while some people admired her, she wasn’t quite at the royal family’s level. This allowed Meghan to have a somewhat ordinary life — people didn’t always recognize her on every street corner.
Meghan had a slew of friends, both inside and outside the industry, prior to meeting Harry, but as Meghan has explained in the past, she had very little control over her social life once she and the prince tied the knot. The duchess had to close her lifestyle blog The Tig, shut down her social media, and as one former friend recalls, even had to change her phone number.
Meghan Markle’s former friend says it went from ‘friendship to silence’
Prior to stepping into the royal spotlight, Meghan did spend a bit of time in the U.K. to attend various events or meet up with friends. It resulted in an unexpected friendship with Lizzie Cundy, a model and presenter living and working in the U.K. Cundy penned an essay for Grazia Magazine in 2021, in which she described her friendship with Meghan — along with its abrupt end.
“There was just something special about her,” Cundy said of her first meeting with Meghan at an event in 2013. “We just got on, and immediately swapped numbers. I looked at her and thought ‘you have something special.’ She makes you feel at home straight away and it felt like I’d known her all my life.” Cundy added that she can see “why Harry fell in love with her.”
However, Cundy’s friendship with Meghan wasn’t built to last; by the time Meghan was engaged to Prince Harry, everything in the now-duchess’ life had changed — including who she spent time with.
“When she first got together with Harry, I texted her to say how amazing it was and she did reply,” Cundy said of Meghan. “But once the ring was on the finger, I soon realized [sic] she was off Twitter and that her number wasn’t working. And that was it.”
Cundy went on to say that people asked her if she was “upset to go from friendship to silence,” but she said she ultimately understood. “It’s a different world going from celebrity to royalty, and a whole different life … I wasn’t in any way upset.”
Lizzie Cundy isn’t the only former friend to speak out about Meghan
Cundy might have ended on good terms with the duchess in her mind, but the same can’t be said for former friend Millie Mackintosh, who recently opened up about the duchess ditching their friendship shortly after meeting Harry.
“She cut me dead,” Mackintosh said on her Mumlemmas podcast in May 2023. “I never heard from her again.” Mackintosh also said that Meghan’s last reply to one of her messages had Mackintosh feeling like Meghan had “told me to f*** off, basically”.
Of course, as we know from Harry and Meghan’s lengthy search for privacy and desire to tell their side of the story, royal life isn’t easy. Meghan has plenty of friends who vouch for her kindness, and it’s possible her relationship with Harry was such a major change that she couldn’t possibly keep in touch with everyone to whom she’d ever become close.
