The Real Reason Meghan Markle Struggled to Fit In with the Royal Family
Meghan Markle’s challenges in adapting to life within the British royal family have been widely discussed. Just 18 months after her high-profile wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, the couple announced their decision to step down as senior working royals and relocated to California in January 2020.
Insiders reveal that Meghan had significant reservations about the senior members of the royal family and found it difficult to navigate the intricate customs and protocols that define the institution. Her struggles to adjust to royal life have been a topic of much speculation and analysis.
In the book *Yes Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants*, author Tom Quinn provides insights into Meghan’s experiences, as excerpted in *The Times*. According to Quinn, a member of Meghan’s former team shared, “Meghan really disliked the hierarchy. Many of the rules do seem pretty pointless and exist only so that the relative status of each senior royal is protected. And the senior royals are such a sensitive bunch — if one gets a gold pen or a new car, they all want one. Meghan thought they behaved like babies.”
The couple further opened up about their royal experiences in their six-part Netflix documentary series, *Harry & Meghan*. In the series, they recounted Meghan’s first encounter with Queen Elizabeth II after their relationship became public in 2016.
“My grandmother was the first senior member of the family that Meghan met,” Prince Harry explained. “She had no idea what it all consisted of. So it was a bit of a shock to the system for her.”
Meghan shared a humorous anecdote about the moment Prince Harry asked her if she knew how to curtsy before meeting the Queen. “We were in the car, driving, and he’s like, ‘You know how to curtsy, right?’ and I just thought it was a joke,” the Duchess of Sussex admitted.
Prince Harry acknowledged the difficulty of explaining royal traditions to his American-born wife. “How do you explain that to people? How do you explain that you bow to your grandmother? And that you would need to curtsy, especially to an American. That’s weird,” he said.
Meghan lightheartedly compared the experience to *Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament*, a popular dinner theater in the U.S. that recreates Middle Ages-style games and entertainment. “Americans will understand this,” she joked, highlighting the cultural differences that made her transition into royal life even more challenging.
Meghan Markle’s journey within the royal family has been marked by her struggle to reconcile her independent, modern background with the centuries-old traditions of the monarchy. Her story continues to spark conversations about the pressures of royal life and the complexities of adapting to an institution steeped in history and protocol.
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, royal family, British monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II, Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, royal protocols, curtsy, royal hierarchy, *Yes Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants*, Tom Quinn, royal customs, senior royals.
