Whoever you are, wherever you’ve come from, you can succeed, prosper and your wildest dreams can be achieved if you work hard: so says the American Dream. Over here? Not so much. Just ask Meghan Markle.
While Americans look to the Duchess of Sussex and see an ordinary girl from the suburbs of LA who became royalty, the British press see a pushy upstart who doesn’t know her place. We Brits just don’t understand The Hustle.
In Finding Freedom – the new biography about Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand – Meghan’s hustle is a central theme. We hear how she always had big dreams and was never going to let anything get in her way.
The book details how, in June 2016, she went to London, on what was ostensibly a ‘networking’ trip – this is when she went on her blind date with Prince Harry.
‘It was an exciting time for the 34-year-old,’ the authors write in the book. ‘Her success in the competitive world of showbusiness, which had started to open doors to opportunities of all kinds, was a product of the confidence, perseverance, and willingness to work harder than her peers that she had displayed since she was a little girl.’
They explain she had signed up with various talent agencies, with the idea that she could become a lifestyle influencer.
‘Even as her star rose, Meghan never stopped working to expand her opportunities,’ they go on. ‘After hiring the London-based PR firm Kruger Cowne to promote her interests, she began commanding cash – upward of $10,000 an appearance – to turn up at red carpets, such as the September 2014 Marchesa Voyage for ShopStyle collection launch in New York City.’
After signing up with APA ‘one of the world’s largest commercial talent agencies’ to ‘develop her career as a lifestyle influencer on The Tig, the blog she launched in 2014,’ she met an aristocrat – which eventually brought her into Harry’s circle.
The book even goes as far back as Meghan’s school days, describing her as ‘driven. Always the first to raise her hand when the teacher wanted an answer or a volunteer to read out loud, she had stellar grades and attendance.’
In this country, we see determination as undesirable – if it’s a trait that belongs to someone who we don’t think deserves their success.
Even when she blew her first audition for Suits, the series she went on to star in, they write ‘she didn’t cry or go home to eat a pint of ice cream. Instead, she called her agent.’ It’s clear she never stopped pushing.
Her drive and perseverance could be read as an admirable sign of ambition… but of course it’s not. Instead, many in this country made their minds up long ago that it marked her out as a social-climbing, scheming narcissist.
Piers Morgan has branded her a ‘royal hustler' and tweeted in January that the Queen ‘must FIRE Their Royal Hustlers’, claiming Meghan ditches people if she comes across someone 'more important'. Tabloids have lambasted her for everything from being divorced to eating avocado toast. They have fabricated countless stories about Meghan’s relationship with the rest of the royal family.
It’s because, in this country, we see determination as undesirable – if it’s a trait that belongs to someone who we don’t think deserves their success. Deep down, the British tabloid press bristle at the thought of an ordinary woman ‘gate crashing’ the aristocracy. Meghan wasn’t necessarily from humble origins, but certain quarters can’t bear the fact that a non-white, divorced American can become a British Duchess.
But success and ambition are intrinsic to the American dream. ‘Making it’ is something you don’t need to be ashamed of over there. The hustle is part of what it means to be American. They are unapologetic about working hard, getting places and rising up.
Here, Britain’s old class structure ensures people know to stay in their lane; know their place; and if they don’t, they are brought down a peg or two. If Meghan’s hustle and ambition is the reason many Brits haven’t warmed to her, that’s our fault; it’s certainly not Meghan’s.
READ MORE: What's On Meghan Markle's Spotify Playlist? A New Book Has Some Clues
READ MORE: Who Was The Hot British Actor Meghan Markle Had A Crush On Before Harry?
Best Books AboutThe Royal Family
Best Books About The Royal Family
1 of 15Meghan: A Hollywood Princess by Andrew Morton
The man who interviewed Diana so famously takes on Meghan, interviewing those closest to her to uncover the story of her childhood: growing up in The Valley in LA, studying at an all-girls Catholic school and her breakout into acting. The book also delves into her previous marriage and divorce in 2013, her struggles in Hollywood.
2 of 15The Final Curtsey A Royal Memoir by the Queen's Cousin by Margaret Rhodes
The intimate and revealing autobiography of Margaret Rhodes, the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. This is as close to the royal family as you get. The publishers say: ' In the Second World War years she 'lodged' at Buckingham Palace while she worked for MI6. She was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her cousin, Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip. Three years later the King and Queen attended her own wedding; Princess Margaret was a bridesmaid. In 1990 she was appointed as a Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen Mother, acting also as her companion, which she describes in touching detail. In the early months of 2002, she spent as much time as possible with her ailing aunt, and was at her bedside when she died at Easter that year. The next morning she went to Queen Elizabeth's bedroom to pray, and in farewell dropped her a final curtsey'
3 of 15Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand
Published in August 2020, this book is expected to be a 'bombshell' that it's been claimed will 'settle scores'. In its description, the publishers claim: 'Finding Freedom goes beyond the headlines to reveal unknown details of Harry and Meghan's life together, dispelling the many rumours and misconceptions that plague the couple on both sides of the pond. As members of the select group of reporters that cover the British Royal Family and their engagements, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand have witnessed the young couple's lives as few outsiders can.With unique access and written with the participation of those closest to the couple, Finding Freedom is an honest, up-close, and disarming portrait of a confident, influential, and forward-thinking couple who are unafraid to break with tradition, determined to create a new path away from the spotlight, and dedicated to building a humanitarian legacy that will make a profound difference in the world.'
4 of 15Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown
Definitely one for fans of The Crown and its various Princess Margarets… She made John Lennon blush and Marlon Brando clam up. She cold-shouldered Princess Diana and humiliated Elizabeth Taylor. Jack Nicholson offered her cocaine and Pablo Picasso lusted over her. To her friends Princess Margaret was witty and regal, to her enemies, she was rude and demanding. Ma'am Darling looks at her from many angles, creating a kaleidoscopic biography, and a witty meditation on fame and art, snobbery and deference, bohemia and high society.
5 of 15Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life by Sally Bedell Smith
This vivid, eye-opening biography--the product of four years of research and hundreds of interviews with palace officials, former girlfriends, spiritual gurus, and more – claims to be the first authoritative treatment of Charles's life that sheds light on the death of Diana, his marriage to Camilla, and his preparations to take the throne one day.
6 of 15The Mountbattens: Their Lives & Loves by Andrew Lownie
A well-researched deep-dive into the lives of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten, a couple who witnessed much of the 20th Century's history – including Royal landmarks – at first hand.
7 of 15Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner
The remarkable life of Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret who was also a Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation. Anne Glenconner reveals the real events behind The Crown as well as her own life of drama, tragedy and courage, with the wonderful wit and extraordinary resilience which define her.
8 of 15Our Rainbow Queen by Sali Hughes
A photographic journey through Queen Elizabeth II's ten decades of colour-blocked style. From the dusky pinks the Queen wore in girlhood all the way through to #NeonAt90, by way of that hat she wore on the announcement of Brexit, and not forgetting her trusty Launer handbag ever at her side, this must-have collection celebrates the iconic fashion statements of our longest reigning and most vibrant monarch.
9 of 15The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown
The original people's princess, Diana is the subject of many great books – this, by Tina Brown, is by someone who knew her personally and the world she inhabited.The book explores, 'Diana's sexually charged mother, her subtly scheming grandmother, the stepmother she hated but eventually came to understand, and a terrifying trio of in-laws and relations: Fergie, the force of nature whose life was full of its own unacknowledged pathos; Princess Margaret, the fading glamour girl; the implacable Queen Mother and more formidable than all of them, her mother-in-law, the Queen, whose admiration Diana sought till the day she died. Add Camilla Parker-Bowles, the ultimate "other woman" into this combustible mix, and it's no wonder that Diana felt the need to break out of her royal cage into celebrity culture, where she found her own power and used it to devastating effect.'So yes, quite a lot there.
10 of 15Diana: Her True Story – In Her Own Words by Andrew Morton
Formerly 'Her True Story' before it was revealed much of the book was based on taped interviews with Diana herself and the book was reissued, this is the often-quoted pretty much definitive story of Princess Diana.
11 of 15The Royals by Kitty Kelley
Originally not available in the UK for fear of legal repercussions, this book makes for a page-turner for Royal gossip fans. The description promises: 'Kitty Kelley has gone behind the scenes at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Kensington Palace to raise the curtain on the men and women who make up the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Princess Diana...here are the scandals of the last decades: the doomed marriages and the husbands, wives, lovers and children caught in their wake and damaged beyond repair. No one is spared.'
12 of 15The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe by Angela Kelly
Angela Kelly has worked with The Queen and walked the corridors of the Royal Household for twenty-five years, initially as Her Majesty's Senior Dresser and then latterly as Her Majesty's Personal Advisor, Curator, Wardrobe and In-house Designer. As the first person in history to hold this title, she shares a uniquely close working relationship with The Queen, with the monarch's position.
13 of 15Harry and Meghan: Life, Loss and Love by Katie Nicholl
It's another book about Harry and Meghan, but coming from Katie Nicholl - one of the best authorities on the royal family - you know that it's good. This book details their romance right up until the royal wedding.
14 of 15Meghan Misunderstood by Sean Smith
The latest biography on Meghan Markle to hit our shelves (from November 12), the description says Sean Smith 'pulls no punches as he reveals the remarkable and powerful story of this self-made, intelligent American woman with a strong social conscience who has made such an impact on our lives.'
15 of 15Prince Philip Revealed: A Man Of His Century
Royal expert Ingrid Seward presents an incredibly in-depth exploration of the man who has stood by the Queen's side for decades. The perfect accompaniment to his forthcoming centenary celebrations next year.