Why Meghan Markle Said King Charles Was 'Charming'

In the years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle split from the monarchy in 2020, there has been an increase in public interest and speculation about the relationships between the couple and the royal family members they left back in Britain.

Following the release of the couple's bombshell TV interview with Oprah Winfrey a year after their move to the U.S., the duke and duchess were accused of airing personal grievances: Harry unpacked issues with his brother, Prince William; and Meghan opened up about tensions with her sister-in-law, Kate.

Though Meghan has said little about issues with individual members of the royal family since the Oprah interview—dramatically less than her husband who opened up in detail about life behind palace walls in his memoir—she notably gave an affectionate appraisal of her father-in-law, King Charles III, in the Netflix docuseries titled: Harry & Meghan.

The highly anticipated show aired in December 2022. It charted the Sussexes' love story, including the factors behind their decision to leave Britain and the monarchy behind two years earlier.

Since their move, Meghan has returned to Britain only three times. Once in April 2022 when on route to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands; again in June of that year to attend the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II; and again that September for charity events and memorials following the queen's death.

Although Meghan did not choose to travel with her husband to Britain in May 2023 to attend King Charles' coronation, her highly publicized description of her father-in-law as a "very charming" person was one of the standout soundbites from the Netflix show just months earlier.

The comment was made in the show's fourth episode, detailing Harry and Meghan's fairy-tale royal wedding, which took place in May 2018.

The prince described how his father had helped the couple in the planning of the big day. Charles even went so far as to recommend the orchestra that accompanied Meghan's walk down the aisle of St. George's Chapel, Berkshire, to George Frideric Handel's Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne (alternatively known as Eternal Source of Light Divine).

"Harry's dad is very charming," Meghan told Netflix viewers, as she noted the absence of her own father. After participating in a paparazzi photoshoot and suffering a heart attack, he was not present to walk his daughter down the aisle.

"I said to him, like, 'I've lost my dad in this,'" Meghan said of a conversation with Charles. "So, him as my father-in-law was really important to me.

"So, I asked him to walk me down the aisle, and he said yes. The whole thing was surreal," the duchess added.

Charmed by his acceptance of the gesture, Meghan was met halfway up the aisle by Charles and guided to the high altar, where Harry was waiting for her.

For his part, Charles has rarely spoken publicly about his relationship with his daughter-in-law. However, he made a point of referencing both her and Harry in his accession speech, given three months before the Netflix show was released.

Speaking from Buckingham Palace in London a day after becoming king, Charles told millions of the love he had for the Sussexes.

"I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan," he said, "as they continue to build their lives overseas."

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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