It’s been just over six months since Meghan Markle joined the British royal family. And the 37-year-old former “Suits” actress has been flying the American flag high as she stamps her unique personality on the institution of the monarchy.
It’s been just over six months since Meghan Markle joined the British royal family. The moment the American said “I do” to Prince Harry, her contract began with “The Firm,” as it’s affectionately known in the UK.
And the 37-year-old former “Suits” actress has been flying the American flag high as she stamps her unique personality on the institution of the monarchy.
She has blown off dated traditions with her multicultural wedding, liberal leanings, rebellious fashion sense — she wore an above-the-knee skirt to the theater in August, something sister-in-law Kate Middleton would never do. Meghan was even at the center of a June kerfuffle when Irish politician Catherine Noone tweeted that the Duchess had told her she was pleased about the country’s recent referendum result on legalized abortion. (It’s seen as verboten for royals to be political.)
Of course, much of it is just the former starlet acting like a normal person — and highlighting just how ridiculous and old-fashioned royal protocol can be. In September, the duchess made headlines and was hailed as a feminist simply because she shut her own car door after stepping out at London’sRoyal Academy of Arts. Such a menial task is usually reserved for a flunky.
But the winds are changing in the stuffy old House of Windsor thanks to the mixed-race Californian beauty. Take a look at the easy, breezy portraits that marked Prince Charles’ 70th birthday, complete with lots of laughter and Charles cuddling his grandkids (something we never saw him doing with his own boys). Meghan is letting everyone know that it’s OK to loosen up a bit.
Even the way Prince Harry and Meghan interact in public — the constant touching and adoring glances — seems to have influenced the other royals. Take Prince William and Kate, who have always behaved in a very stiff, formal way that feels more out of the Victorian era than the Instagram age.