America's Second Princess: Is Meghan Markle Modern Grace Kelly?
After marrying Prince Harry on Saturday, Meghan Markle officially became a member of the royal family and is now the Duchess of Sussex. Just like Grace Kelly, Meghan was an American actress who became part of a royal family. But the two women share more than one might think.
The outsider
Thirty-six-year-old Meghan Markle is no classic princess. To be precise, she is by no means a princess, but that matters little to many. She is American, divorced and biracial, which already puts her in an "outsider" position.
Anna Whitelock, the royal historian of Royal Holloway, University of London, said:
Meghan is an outsider (in the royal family) and I think that's a good thing. It has a unique perspective.
Grace Kelly was twenty-six when she married the Prince of Monaco. She struggled to be accepted by Munich's high society and some members of the royal family.
Royal historian Carolyn Harris said:
Grace Kelly came up against the established traditions that existed in Monaco. As a foreigner and an actress, she found that she had inadvertently offended people.
The difference between the two women in this respect is that Meghan follows in the footsteps of her husband's mother, Princess Diana, who modernized the English royal family.
The philanthropist
In the years following the wedding, Grace Kelly worked in charity. She fought for the rights of children, became president of the Munich Red Cross and often visited orphanages and hospitals.
In 2015, Meghan was named a spokesperson for women at the United Nations. A year later she became a world ambassador for World Vision. She went to Rwanda to promote a campaign on water.
While Grace Kelly did all of her charitable work alone, Meghan is joined by her husband, Prince Harry, to tackle the world's biggest problems.
Here's what people on Twitter think about the similarities between the two actresses:
Everyone says Meghan Markle is a modern day Grace Kelly.
- Gina of Main St. (@ Gina_MC3) November 27, 2017
Everyone says Meghan Markle is a modern day Grace Kelly.
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was beautiful, but nothing will ever beat Grace Kelly's wedding to Prince Rainier III
DOESN'T COME CLOSE TO GRACE! THE PRINCESS HAS A REAL POSITION! America's second "princess": why Meghan Markle is a modern Grace Kelly
Meghan Markle is the Grace Kelly of our times
Grace and Meghan are both strong and independent women. The main difference is that Markle seems very prepared for her role. She entered a new world with her eyes wide open and is now revolutionizing it, just like Princess Diana did.
