Meghan Markle Sees Prince Charles as a "Second Father"
It's clear that the Duchess of Sussex has a fraught relationship with her father, Thomas Markle. He did not attend her wedding to Prince Harry and, reportedly, has not seen Meghan in years.
Thomas's public presence caused much scandal for Meghan and the royal family. He often spoke to the press without royal approval, insulted the monarchy, and, in late July 2018, he even told the Daily Mail that "Perhaps it would be easier for Meghan if I died."
While new revelations state that Meghan and Harry placed most of the blame for Thomas's outbursts on the media, it makes sense that Meghan would turn to a more stable figure for guidance in entering the royal family. That's where Prince Charles came in.
The new biography about the Sussexes, Finding Freedom, describes a close relationship between Meghan and her father-in-law. The Prince of Wales stood in for Meghan's own father, both literally (walking her down the aisle) and figuratively, when Thomas let her down.
A friend of the Duchess's said that Meghan "found such a supportive and loving father in Charles, which has really changed her life for the better." She claimed that Meghan saw Charles not as a father-in-law, but a "second father."
Luckily, these feelings were mutual. In Finding Freedom, a friend of Charles's said that the Prince of Wales had "taken a real shine to Meghan. She's a sassy, confident beautiful American. He likes very strong, confident women. She's bright and she's self-aware, and I can see why they've struck up a very quick friendship."
Charles's wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is also fond of Meghan. In the early days of Meghan's royal life, she and Charles apparently gave their daughter-in-law-to-be a fair amount of support, advice, and sympathy. Prior to the wedding, Meghan, Harry, Charles, and Camilla even spent a private weekend away together at the Castle of Mey, the Scottish retreat once owned by the Queen Mother. During this little vacation, Meghan was able to forge a relationship with her future in-laws.
Meghan's former job as an actress also helped her bond with the Prince of Wales. Charles enjoys associating with artists and even dabbled in theater while he was a student at Cambridge, getting involved in the Dryden Society, Trinity College's drama group.
"The Prince of Wales has always been fond of people from the Arts, like Emma Thompson, who he's been mates with for years," another source noted in the book.
And, of course, what Charles loved the most about Meghan was that she made his son happy.
"Meghan ticks the boxes. Most of all she's married to [Charles's] beloved youngest son and made him whole," the source said. "Charles takes enormous delight and pleasure in that."
Order your copy of Finding Freedom here.
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