The royal wedding between Meghan Markle and
the British prince Harry is taking place this
week. How will the new soon-to-be royal’s
family get along with The Firm? We take a
look…
Business Insider reported recently that a
genealogist for the Daily Mail claims Meghan
and Harry are actually distant cousins. They
are supposedly “related through a 15th Century
English ancestor of the Queen Mother, the
High Sheriff of County Durham Ralph Bowes,
whose family seat was Streatlam Castle.”
The connection would make them 15th cousins.
However, there is no definitive proof that
the report is completely accurate. Meghan
is still an average gal marrying into the
royal family.
Most of Meghan’s family hasn’t met Prince
Harry yet. But her mom, Doria Ragland, has
both met and approves of her daughter’s
fiance. Meghan and Doria are very close, and
Meghan credits her mom for getting her into
philanthropy. (Meghan is of course a UN ambassador
and plans to expand her charity work after
she marries Harry.)
Since Harry flew Doria to Toronto for the
last Invictus Games, there’s no doubt that
she will be in attendance at her daughter’s
wedding. Since Queen Elizabeth extends invitations
to private gatherings to Kate Middleton’s
family — there is a good chance she will
do the same for Meghan’s mom as well.
Meghan isn’t the only one in her family
bit by the Hollywood bug. Her father, Tom
Markle, is a cinematographer, and worked the
cameras on Married With Children. He even
won a Daytime Emmy for Lighting Direction
on well-known soap General Hospital. Looks
like both Meghan and Harry followed in their
fathers’ career footsteps.
Despite her parents getting divorced when
she was six, Meghan reportedly still keeps
in close contact with her dad. Thomas has
not met Harry in person yet, but they have
spoken on the phone. He actually does want
to travel to the U.K. and walk Meghan down
the aisle, if his doctors clear the trip.
“I hate the idea of missing one of the greatest
moments in history and walking my daughter
down the aisle,” Thomas said.
But on Tuesday, Thomas said that he actually
won’t be attending the wedding after all
– because he’s having heart surgery on
Tuesday instead.
The royal family has its fair share of squabbling
relatives — something that Meghan knows
plenty about because of her own family. Meghan
has two half-siblings, from Tom Markle’s
marriage before Doria Ragland. Her older step-sister,
Samantha Grant has emerged into the spotlight
for badmouthing Meghan, saying that Hollywood
changed her into a spotlight-seeker, and that:
“I think her ambition is to become a princess.”
Meghan’s relationship with her stepsister
has deteriorated so much that Samantha is
planning on writing her memoirs down in a
tell-all book that will paint Meghan in a
negative light. (This is certainly something
the royal family is familiar with, after Princess
Diana divulged scathing details about her
husband and in-laws in a BBC interview back
in 1995.)
Yes, Grant is reportedly in the process of
writing a book called The Diary of Princess
Pushy’s Sister. And yes, she has made it
well know that she and Meghan rarely speak.
All that being said, that Samantha is just
one family member that says they will be at
Meghan’s wedding — even if they aren’t
invited. (Can’t imagine Queen Elizabeth
being too fond of that happening.)
Very little is known about Meghan’s other
half sibling — brother Tom Markle, Jr. He
was arrested for allegedly holding a gun to
his girlfriend’s head. There isn’t much
insight as to how close he was to Meghan before
her relationship with Prince Harry became
public. But Tom Jr. has reportedly begged
for an invite to the wedding.
Bringing an everyday family into the fold
with the royals is no doubt a stressful situation.
(Especially since Meghan doesn’t appear
to be on the best terms with all of her kin.)
Luckily, she has a confidante and future sister
in Kate Middleton. Since the Duchess of Cambridge
integrated her family into the royal family,
she is the perfect mentor for Meghan at this
time.
Queen Elizabeth has been more lenient over
the last few years when it comes to following
royal protocol. At least, she has been when
it comes to her grandsons, Princes William
and Harry. Since she was so willing to dismiss
royal standards for Harry to propose to Meghan,
the queen is more likely to be welcoming to
her family. (At least, until one of them tries
to crash the wedding and create a scene.)
The monarchy has loosened up its view of divorce
in past years. (It used to be that the crowned
rejected the idea of divorcees marrying into
the royal family.) But Meghan having been
married before didn’t sway the queen from
granting Harry permission to marry her. And
she likely doesn’t care that Meghan is a
child of divorce either, given that her own
children have been through their share of
splits as well.
Anyone who follows the royal family knows
that they have long been dog owners. And supposedly,
Meghan comes from a line of canine fans herself.
(Queen Elizabeth’s corgis liked Meghan right
off the bat!) Meghan reportedly had to leave
her dog in Canada when she moved to London,
but we’re sure she and Harry will have at
least one pooch of their own.
Here is another area where Meghan can learn
a thing or two from Duchess Catherine. Even
though the queen is welcoming to the Middletons,
other members of the royal family turn their
noses up because Kate’s kin are not born
royal. This is something that, obviously,
Kate doesn’t dwell on. And Meghan shouldn’t
worry about what the extended — and gossipy!
— royal family thinks of her immediate family
either.
Outside of the royals getting along with Meghan’s
mom Doria, there is likely not going to be
much hoopla if her family doesn’t get along
with Harry’s family. As Meghan becomes immersed
in the royal family, it’s likely that her
duties will help to push animosity between
her and her family members — particularly
her stepsister — out of the spotlight.
