Meghan Markle’s Close Friend Misha Nonoo Says Markle Hasn’t Changed Since Becoming Duchess

If you’re as big a fan of Meghan Markle as we are, you’ll already know that the Duchess of Sussex launched a capsule collection with Smart Works yesterday. Arriving at a presentation for the collection on the rooftop of John Lewis with press, Markle explained the motivation behind the collection and why she chose Smart Works; 'It's incredibly important to me personally to be able to connect with people on the ground doing really important work, and one of the places I went to very early on was Smart Works.’

Whenever you buy one of the five items in the capsule collection. the brand will donate one to Smart Works, which offers professional clothes and interview training to unemployed women, helping to encourage and support them to enter the workspace.

SHOP NOW: Meghan Markle’s Smart Works Capsule Collection

If you paid very close attention you’d notice that as well as wearing Princess Diana’s earrings and bracelet (reportedly a gift from Harry for the special occasion) Meghan also wore the white shirt from her Smart Works collection, designed by none other than close friend Misha Nonoo.

Now, the designer has opened up about her friendship with the royal for the first time, in an interview with the New York Times. You might think that Meghan has a little less time for her friends now that she’s a mother and part of one of the most talked about families in the world, but Nonoo says that’s not so.

‘From when I first met her, to a text that I would send yesterday or today, nothing has ever changed. Nothing.’

‘From, you know, the handwritten thank-you letters that you receive, to never missing a birthday, an occasion, checking in. You may think because someone’s so busy that they’re not there, but that has never changed, how genuinely thoughtful she is.’

'I’m sure people probably think, like, "Things must be so different!" et cetera, et cetera. ‘That must affect her friendships!’ But all I can say is that from my perspective, she has not changed as a friend.'

Nonoo also recalls the story of how Markle got her to agree to the Smart Works collaboration, and while not much detail was given at first, because of their friendship Nonoo was happy to agree.

‘She said, you know, “I am going to become royal patron of a charity that I think is right up your alley. It’s all about empowering women. It’s all about professional women, women getting back into the work force, and I haven’t figured out what we’re going to do yet, but I would really like for you to be a part of what we do,” And I said, ‘Great! I love you and I will absolutely do this.

‘I was never concerned from a control aspect of the other pieces because ultimately the filter was always going to be Meghan’s tastes, and I trusted that implicitly — and the messaging — and that it would all be right.’

READ MORE: Meghan Markle's Best Fashion Moments