Royal family
Meghan Markle didn’t enjoy her time in the royal family, and she’s opened up about the difficulties it’s brought her. But King Charles once had a nickname for her that suggested he respected her mindset.
King Charles and Meghan Markle’s relationship has certainly dwindled through the years. The king and Duchess of Sussex haven’t been close since Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, left the royal family. These days, rumor has it the two don’t speak much at all.
Still, there was a time when things were alright, and Charles and Meghan had a decent relationship; he even walked her down the aisle during her wedding to Harry. Charles apparently also had a nickname for Meghan that suggested he respected her mindset.
King Charles reportedly called Meghan Markle ‘Tungsten’ for her independent attitude
When Harry met Meghan, he was looking for a way out. Meghan was a strong, independent woman who had already lived adulthood on her own terms, which is likely part of why she didn’t adhere to the royal mold quite the same way Kate Middleton did (Kate and Prince William met in college when they were still teens, while Meghan was almost 35 when she and Harry started dating). And Charles reportedly noticed Meghan’s strong attitude, and affectionately called her “Tungsten” because of it. At the time, the Charles and Meghan were on good terms.
“Prince Charles admires Meghan for her strength and the backbone she gives Harry, who needs a tungsten-type figure in his life as he can be a bit of a softy,” a palace source told Charlotte Griffiths of Mail on Sunday back in 2018. “It’s become a term of endearment.”
Charles eventually even walked Meghan down the aisle after her father, Thomas Markle, couldn’t attend the wedding due to medical issues. At the time, it was a testament to Meghan’s relationship with her father-in-law. However, things have gone downhill in recent years.
King Charles and Meghan Markle hardly speak
Meghan and Harry left the royal family in 2020; it’s been more than five years since they’ve completed any royal duties, and things between Meghan and Charles have not grown better. Charles reportedly hardly sees his two grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and Charles has never been to California to see Harry and Meghan’s new life.
For a while, there was hope that things between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family would improve after both sides took a break from each other. But five years on, very little has moved, and some would say things have become even worse among some royals. It remains to be seen if Charles will ever reconcile with his son and daughter-in-law.
