There’s a lot you can learn about a person in 100 days.
For example, for those who have spent restless nights wondering just what Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s favourite feature is, we now know it’s her freckles, revealed by her personal make-up artist, no less. In fact, just yesterday he told how he uses “selective placement of foundation” to enhance those cute little speckles.
And – this may or may not be true, of course – that the new Duchess set the Queen’s teeth on edge when she dared to venture out for a performance of the musical Hamilton, wearing what one royal watcher described as a “racy £327 dress”, with bare legs. Surely everyone knows that just as the crown will fall should ravens flee the Tower of London, ladies of the royal household simply must wear nude tights and nude shoes at all times.
For those among us who can’t help but wonder what the love bird royal couple might call each other in private (steady readers), all was revealed at the same event. Surrounded by cast members and media, the former Suits actress turned to her Prince and with a dazzling smile, gently enquired for all to hear: “Can you see, my love?”
Twitter exploded, Instagram melted, and a reporter in America rang Thomas Markle for a comment. Across the land every couple who have been married longer than the royal couple’s 100 days, looked at each other and wondered why they don’t call each other “my love” any more.
But, of course, they’re not the nation’s sweethearts, Harry and Meghan.
It’s just over 100 days since Meghan Markle glided down the aisle of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in an elegant Givenchy dress with a reported £250,000 price tag and sealed her fate as public property.
Few would disagree that the event was everything a good wedding should be: beautiful bride, proud groom, rogue relative in the background who probably should just go away but who no-one can stop watching, and that one guest who manages to upstage the bride – *cough Victoria Beckham cough*.
While every other newlywed couple can then look forward to work on Monday and years spent trying to repay the wedding loan, life for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since they tied the knot could hardly have been more different.
For the American-born royal newbie, it’s surely required the biggest performance of her life. One that – rather uniquely for a divorced, mixed race, outspoken American feminist – she would appear to have been born to do.
Rapidly emerging as one of the more hardworking royals – and far more visible than some who really were born to do the job - the Duchess has notched up a string of high-profile engagements that have propelled her on to front pages around the world.
“She has a lot of warmth and he has charisma and both are approachable with crowds,” says Sally Bedell Smith, an American writer whose biographies of the royals are best-sellers.
“Because of her background (American, biracial, an ex-actress on 'Suits'), she's already brought a lot of people into the fold of royal fans who were either indifferent or hostile.
“They look on her as a member of a family that is inclusive and very 21st century. They are real assets for the image of the modern royal family."
A joint royal engagement with the Queen during which the pair giggled like schoolgirls, was heralded as a major success, while a visit to Dublin by the newlyweds prompted the Irish Times to suggest the new Duchess was the “biggest influencer of all” and had readers admitting it was the first royal wedding at which they felt “okay” waving at Tricolour.
It’s all gone swimmingly.
Except for one Thomas Markle-shaped problem.
He, along with the Duchess’s rowdy half-siblings, Samantha Grant and Thomas Markle Jr, are the problem the royal press office should have seen coming.
As if it couldn’t get more bizarre, Mr Markle is now said to be planning to launch a clothes line: "So excited about my father's new #clothing line for men,” tweeted Samantha Grant, who has penned a book entitled, The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister and has admitted to being the ‘brains’ behind the pre-wedding paparazzi shots of her father being fitted for a suit and reading books on British history.
Far from alienating the public from their newest royal, their antics have simply made many Meghan fans – entranced by her feminist ideals as much as those freckles, and with a soft spot for her husband - adore her even more.
On Thursday, the Hollywood Gossip website, which claims to report the “hottest celebrity gossip, news pictures and rumors” stunned us with its insider knowledge of how all is not well in the Sussex household.
“Meghan Markle storms out after wild fight with Harry”, it squealed, alleging that the Duchess feels trapped by royal rules – it’s those nude tights again – and her husband is increasingly enraged by her family’s desperate publicity grabbing behaviour.
Worse still, she has tried and failed – allegedly – to convince her husband to give up his ‘man cave’ so she can give their home a classy makeover.
Harry is henpecked. Meghan wants the man cave painted pink.
Those royals. They’re just like us, really.
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