Meghan Markle’s royal wedding message shows her true colours, royal biographer claims

The Duchess of Sussex shared unseen wedding photos to mark her and Prince Harry’s eighth anniversary, but royal biographer Ingrid Seward believes differently.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Instagram – Eight years ago today… (Image: Chris Allerton/meghan/Instagram)

The Duchess of Sussex’s previously unseen wedding photographs may have appeared to be a glamorous tribute to matrimonial happiness, yet a prominent royal author contends that they also expose her hidden anguish. The 44-year-old released two substantial albums on Instagram last week to commemorate her and Prince Harry’s eighth wedding anniversary – with her father-in-law being the sole other member of the royal family to appear.

“Meghan doesn’t do anything without purpose, so she’s sending a message, isn’t she?,” claims royal expert Ingrid Seward. “The message is, ‘We’re still very much part of your family.’ That’s what Harry and Meghan need because I don’t think they knew when they cut themselves off – with Harry’s book and the Oprah interview – just how alienated they were going to be.

“The relationship Meghan and Charles had at the beginning meant a lot to Meghan. Charles was very caring towards her, and although he is said to have nicknamed her ‘Tungsten’, I think he saw through that and saw her as quite vulnerable.”

She continues, “He also thought that if he brought her closer rather than push her away, he would be more in control of anything she might potentially do.” The photographs recall a period when Meghan and Charles were believed to enjoy a close relationship, with him stepping in to accompany her partway down the aisle at St George’s Chapel in place of her own father, Thomas Markle Sr. “Like everybody, Charles had such high hopes for the marriage and, in a way, was quite honoured to be part of it because he’s quite a humble man,” Ingrid claims. “He would have been very touched by the fact she wanted him to walk her down the aisle.”

Kensington Palace confirmed shortly before the Sussexes’ wedding day on 19 May 2018, that Charles would substitute for Thomas, who was recovering from heart surgery, adding that he was “pleased to be able to welcome Ms Markle to the Royal Family in this way”. The then Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, also informed journalists at the time that Charles was performing the traditional fatherly duty as “a sign of his love and concern and support”.

Meghan’s most recent wedding anniversary throwbacks were captioned “Eight years ago today…” and featured additional snapshots of Sir Elton John at the piano, previously unseen images of the newlyweds on the dance floor during their wedding reception, and a photograph of Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.

Harry’s best man, Prince William, and the couple’s sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, were conspicuously absent. While the carefully selected images project joy and optimism, Ingrid believes they also conceal years of emotional upheaval behind closed doors.

“Their wedding was like something from a Disney film and the highlight of Meghan’s life and her ambitions,” she claims. “The weather was beautiful, with cloudless skies, and the crowds and the cheers. It was no doubt the best day of her life, but it’s never to be repeated and the minute the ring was on her finger, the trouble started, so there is obviously secret pain there.

“I imagine her absent father causes her pain because he reminds her of her previous life and she also probably feels some guilt about the way things have turned out. The whole world has been against her and Harry at times, and she is very aware of that. So, she wants to stand up for herself and block all that out.”

Ingrid suggests Meghan likely faces a significant challenge towards reconciliation (Image: UK Press via Getty Images)

Since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, Meghan and Harry’s ties with the royal family have continued to fracture, marked by the couple’s headline-grabbing Oprah Winfrey interview and the release of Harry’s bombshell memoir Spare. Meanwhile, Meghan remains estranged from her own father.

Beyond reports of a personal letter from Meghan being delivered to him following his widely publicised leg amputation last year, the pair are believed not to have spoken for several years. “I think she’s just blanked him out of her life and decided that if she doesn’t talk to him and doesn’t see him, he’s not there,” Ingrid claims.

Meghan is thought to have last seen Charles in person during the summer of 2022, when she and Harry travelled to the UK for Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, accompanied by Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, now aged seven and four.

Despite this, Ingrid claims, Meghan is acutely aware that “Charles is the number one man”, and the road to reconciliation remains fraught, as distrust behind palace walls continues to run deep.

Meghan is thought to have last seen Charles in person during the summer of 2022 (Image: CYRIL ZINGARO/EPA/Shutterstock)

“She’s also astute enough to know that having a good relationship with her father-in-law can only help her relationship with her husband, if that’s what he wants,” she claims.

“Out of anyone, she needs to get him on side. Of course she’s also got Camilla to deal with, who would never be rude or unpleasant to her, but knowing the sort of woman she is, she will be absolutely very, very wary of Meghan indeed.”

For now, Meghan’s meticulously crafted wedding recollections may paint a flawless fairy tale, yet only time will tell whether the King is prepared to receive Meghan’s message.