It has become crystal clear in the past few months that, when it comes to Harry and Meghan, most of us have nailed our colours to the mast. I hereby name her Meghan Marmite, as it seems you either love her or hate her. For what it's worth, I'm a big fan. It is not easy to enter the royal family, and she has done so with grace. I respect any woman who has risen from nothing and carved out success in any industry, which she did through an acting career that gave her enough fame and fortune to eliminate either as a motive in dating a member of the royal family. She has worked hard in the realm of philanthropy, and her experience in this sphere before she even met Harry makes it clear to me that she truly cares about others.
I have my opponents in this. Where I see resilience, others see stubbornness. Where I see a victim, they see a bully. Where I applaud someone who has removed herself from a damaging situation, like any mother in nature would, others are sickened by a refusal to do ones duty. I think I'm right. They think they're right. I doubt we will ever reach agreement, especially now, and I've made my peace with the fact that people I see as otherwise reasonable, intelligent, even kind, have such venom for this woman. But there's one thing that really rubs me up the wrong way about this camp's behaviour in the last three months or so.
Meghan (and Harry, of course. The cruelty she endures may suggest that she's doing all of this alone but her husband, an actual blood royal, is there too) is taking centre stage thanks to her participation in a sit-down interviewwith TV legend Oprah Winfrey. Meghan used the interview to criticise 'The Firm' for perpetuating falsehoods. There are implications of racial elements in the way she has been treated. In Britain, she has been pilloried. The timing of the scheduled broadcast of the interview - nothing to do with Meghan - has been slammed, thanks to its alignment with Commonwealth Day and the unfortunate hospitalisation of Prince Philip. Social media users were quick to suggest that Meghan is, absurdly, responsible. New reports of her being a bully - conveniently timed, no? - present her as a cruel witch who has kidnapped two fixtures of the royal succession away. People like Piers Morgan were enraged at her actions. The morning papers slated her endlessly. But amidst all that noise, I saw very little acknowledgement of the fact that the person before us is a heavily pregnant woman.
Prince Harry and Meghan relationship timeline (slider) - Grazia
1 of 19July 2016: Meghan And Harry Meet
So when did the future Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were introduced by a mutual friend in July 2016, originally thought to be Markus Anderson (also the director of Soho house) but who was later confirmed to be Violet von Westenholz. Meghan said in an interview that before she met the Harry she didn't know much about him 'the only thing that I had asked [our mutual friend] was, 'Well is he nice?'. According to Harry he knew Meghan was The One from 'the very first time we met.' after only two dates Harry asked Meghan to accompany him on a trip to Botswana.
2 of 19October - November 2016: Kensington Palace's Statement
In October 2016 that the Express became the first newspaper to publish news that Prince Harry had a new girlfriend. However just a month later, Kensington Palace released a statement condemning the 'wave of abuse and harassment' faced by Meghan. The unprecedented statement, which referred to Meghan as Harry's girlfriend for the first time, emphasized that Prince Harry was 'worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her.' It continued 'It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm.' The palace were also forced to address speculation that Prince William was unhappy with Harry for confirming the relationship too soon, stating 'The Duke of Cambridge absolutely understands the situation concerning privacy and supports the need for Prince Harry to support those closest to him.'
3 of 19December - February 2017: Things Get More Serious
Early in December 2017 Meghan was confirmed as the most Googled actress of 2016. In the same month, the couple were photographed together for the first time in London, shopping for a Christmas tree at the Pines and Needles store and attending a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. By January 2017 a source told US weekly that Harry had introduced Meghan to Kate and Prince Charlotte and that the 'meeting went well'. Meanwhile a source told The Sun that Meghan had 'virtually moved in' with Prince Harry to his cottage on the Kensington Palace estate.
4 of 19March - May 2017: Meghan Attends Weddings With Harry
By March things were openly getting pretty serious between the two: Meghan accompanied Harry to Jamaica for a wedding for the first time (his friend's Tom 'Skippy' Inskip to Lara Hughes-Young). On April the 7th Meghan announced that she was closing down her lifestyle blog The Tig writing 'What began as a passion project (my little engine that could) evolved into an amazing community of inspiration, support, fun and frivolity. You've made my days brighter and filled this experience with so much joy.' In May, Meghan and Harry attended their first public event together at the Polo in Coworth Park (where they also engaged in some PDA). Later in May Prince Harry was seen driving Meghan to the reception of Pippa Middleton and James Matthew's wedding.
5 of 19September 2017: The First Official Public Appearance
Welcome to Meghan the style Icon: at the opening of Prince Harry's Invictus Games in September Meghan wore a maroon midi dress with a pleated chiffon skirt by one of her favourite Canadian brands, Aritzia with a burgundy biker jacket by Mackage. The next day the couple were photographed sitting together at the wheelchair tennis and 'broke with royal protocol' by holding hands and kissing at the closing ceremony. On the 5th of September In an interview with Vanity Fair, Meghan stated: 'We're a couple. We're in love. I'm sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people understand is that this is our time.'
6 of 19September-November 2017: Meghan Leaves Behind Rachel Zane
Late 2017 we saw the end of everyone's favourite legal powerhouse Rachel Zane (sob). In November 2017, shortly after Meghan met the Queen, the actress was reported to be leaving her role in Suits after seven seasons.
7 of 19November 2017: The Engagement
After months of speculation, Prince Charles announced the engagement of his younger son Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after 15 months of dating On November 27th 2017 . The engagement ring, said to be designed by Harry, is made of two stones that belonged to Princess Diana. The couple later appeared at a photocall, with Markle wearing a white dress coat by Canadian brand Line The Label (whose website subsequently crashed). When asked by waiting photographers if the proposal was romantic, Harry joked 'of course!' Speaking about his late mother, Princess Diana, Harry said 'I think they'd be thick as thieves. She would be over the moon, jumping up and down, so excited for me... It's days like today when I really miss having her around and miss being able to share the happy news. With the ring, I'm sure she's with us, jumping up and down somewhere else.' it was announced that the wedding would take place on May the 19th, 2018.
8 of 19December 2017: The Fab Four
In December 2017 Meghan, Harry, Kate and William were photographed together attending the Christmas service at Sandringham. Pictures of the two couples earned them the title 'The Fab Four'. Meanwhile in the following months Meghan earned a reputation for breaking royal protocol on official visits by hugging fans of the couple and kissing them on the cheek.
9 of 19February 2018: Kate And Meghan Appear In Public Together
In February 2018, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle had their first royal engagement together for the Royal Foundation Forum with Prince Harry and Prince William. Harry stated of the two couples 'We have different opinions and they work really well [together]. Working as family does have its challenges; of course it does. The fact that everybody is laughing shows they know exactly what's it like… But we are stuck together for the rest of our lives.'
10 of 19May 2018: The Lead Up To The Wedding
In the lead-up to the wedding it was confirmed 2,640 people would be invited to the grounds of Windsor Palace to watch the royal wedding. Photos of Meghan and Harry's wedding invitations were released, bearing Harry's legal name 'Henry'. Meghan and Harry made a number of public appearances together including to the Invictus game tryouts in April and attend the Queen's birthday at the Royal Albert Hall. Meghan's final episode of Suits is also aired, marking the official end of her acting career.
11 of 19May 2018: Meghan's Family Drama Begins
On May the 14th, three days before the wedding Meghan's father, Thomas Markle sr. who was confirmed to walk Meghan down the aisle pulled out, following an embarrassing incident in which he staged paid paparazzi photos. Thomas Markle later suffered a heart attack, and his son Thomas Markle Jr. penned an unflattering open letter to Harry criticizing Meghan and encouraging him to pull out of the wedding. The day before the wedding, Kensington Palace announced Prince Charles would walk Meghan down the aisle, stating 'The Prince of Wales is pleased to be able to welcome Ms. Markle to The Royal Family in this way.'
12 of 19May 2018: The Royal Wedding
Meghan and Harry wed on the 19th of May for a combined audience of 11.5 million people who tuned in to watch the ceremony. Meghan's gown was made by Clare Waight Keller, artistic director of the fashion house Givenchy which she later changed for a silk crepe dress by Stella McCartney. Her mother Doria Ragland attended the ceremony along with a host of celebrities including Meghan's former Suits cast and her close friends, George and Amal Clooney.
13 of 19May - October 2018: Married Life
Throughout May of 2018 Harry and Meghan made their first official appearances as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. For her inaugural attendance to the Trooping of the Colour Meghan wore an off-the-shoulder dress, reportedly breaking royal protocal. In the following months the newlyweds made a number of public appearances including to Ireland to meet the country's officials. They also took a rumoured trip to visit George and Amal Clooney in Lake Como.
14 of 19October 2018: The Royal Baby Announcement
Speculation began during Princess Eugenie's wedding that Meghan was pregnant owing to her loose coat. The rumours were confirmed when Kensington Palace announced on the 15th of October 2018 that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were expecting a child. The announcement also coincided with the first day of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's official tour.
15 of 19October 2018: Meghan And Harry's First Royal Tour
In October Meghan and Harry departed for their 16-day Autumn royal tour visiting Australia, Tonga, Fiji and New Zealand (obviously featuring some serious style moments from the newly-appointed Duchess of Sussex/Style). By November, sources were telling news outlets that the couple were preparing to move to Frogmore cottage in Windsor in 2019. The couple spent the anniversary of their engagement, November the 27th apart, due to Harry being in Zambia.
16 of 19November 2018 - Present: Feud Rumours
As Meghan and Harry embarked on life as newlyweds there was less plainsailing, as controversy continued to follow closely on their heels. Meghan's family have continued to be the subject of unflattering media headlines and Thomas Markle gave interviews to the media about his distanced relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Samantha Markle (Meghan's half sister, who also claims to be penning a book about the Duchess) was put on a fixated persons list after showing up at Kensington palace in January. Rumours of a froideur between Meghan and Kate were sparked shortly after Meghan and Harry's nuptials by reports that Meghan reduced Kate 'to tears' during challenging dress fittings with Princess Charlotte. In February, Thomas Markle leaks a handwritten letter from Meghan to the media in response to friends of the Duchess defending her in an interview and following numerous staff changes, rumours arise that Meghan and Harry's staff refer to Meghan by the nickname 'The difficult Duchess'.
17 of 19March 2019: The Royal Household's Split
In March 2019 it was confirmed that the Sussex and Cambridge's 'royal households' will split, meaning the couples will no longer share staff. Royal spokespersons confirm that Kate and William's staff team will stay in Kensington Palace while Meghan and Harry's staff will be based in Buckingham Palace, reflecting the location of their new residence of Frogmore cottage in Windsor. Representatives are quick to confirm this is a planned move, and not due to rumors of growing tensions between the couples.
18 of 19May 2019: The Baby Is Here!
Meghan Markle gave birth to baby Sussex on May 6th, 2019, he weighed 7lbs. 3oz. On May 8th the new parents did a photocall at Windsor Castle, showing their newborn off to the world.
19 of 19October 2019: The Duke and Duchess take legal action against the Mail on Sunday.
Prince Harry released a powerful statement condemning the treatment of his wife and explaining why she is taking legal action against The Mail on Sunday. It reads: 'As a couple, we believe in media freedom and objective, truthful reporting. We regard it as a cornerstone of democracy and in the current state of the world – on every level – we have never needed responsible media more.'Find out more here.
How pregnant is Meghan? When is she due? We don't know. It is essentially irrelevant. We know we can expect a summer arrival. But whenever the due date, a sense of calm and serenity at home is vital. She has spoken previously on the pains of miscarriage. She will be horribly nervous about this pregnancy: any woman who has lost a child in this way will tell you that the fear of another tragedy doesn't go away until your child is safe and well in your arms. Regardless of this painful experience, pregnancy is always a tense time. And yet, the trolls' viciousness has not been tempered. The critics - many of whom preach the virtues of being kind when it comes to absolutely anyone else - waved their metaphorical pitchforks with the same fervour as always. Either they have forgotten that she is pregnant, or they just don't care. It is interesting that people so obsessed with royalty, successions and bloodlines show such little disregard for the Queen's next great-grandchild.
I'm not the sort of feminist who thinks that expressing disdain for any woman is unreasonable. You're allowed to dislike Meghan. Of course you are. I actually don't think we'd really like each other in person if, somehow, we ended up chatting over cocktails. But I instinctively divide her active detractors into two sub-camps: there are those who, I feel, are falling for the tricks and deceits perpetuated by her most powerful naysayers. And there are those who are inherently prejudiced against her because she is a woman, a divorcee, bi-racial, American, a commoner, or all of the above. Most, I think, fall into the former category, naive rather than malicious. But whatever the motive for their negative outbursts, I am truly baffled that more of them have not parked their critiques temporarily for the sake of the life growing inside her.
In the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, women who were found guilty of witchcraft were spared the noose if they were found to be pregnant. It's clear to me that, more than three hundred years later, many of us have dispensed with even this shred of humanity.