Topics: Meghan Markle, King Charles III, Prince Harry, Royal Family
King Charles gave Meghan Markle an unusual nickname soon after she began dating Prince Harry, and it holds a deeply significant meaning.
Back in July 2016, a mutual friend set up Meghan and Harry on a blind date in London when the Suits actress was in town for Wimbledon.
Sparks flew and a royal love story soon unfurled, as the couple went on their second date on 4 July, according to Meghan’s most recent social media post. Almost a decade later, the Sussexes are now married, are the proud parents of two children, and they stepped back as working royals.
Within a few weeks of meeting, Meghan travelled with her future hubby to Botswana where they camped under the stars.
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News of the relationship broke in October 2016, however, word of Harry being ‘besotted’ with his new love interest came with racist commentary, predominately from British tabloids. This prompted the royal family to issue an unusual public statement calling out the media for their treatment of Meghan.
“The past week has seen a line crossed’, the statement read, adding that Meghan had been ‘subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public - the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments’.
Harry introduced his father to Meghan in October 2016. He recalled the moment in his 2023 memoir, Spare, writing how they ‘rehearsed' the meeting ‘several times’ to help the Hollywood star practise her curtsey, among other customs.
"He had a lot of questions about Meg's career, and he looked impressed by the way she answered," Harry wrote about his dad’s first impression of Meghan. "Her confidence, her intelligence, I thought, caught him unawares."
Charles gave Meghan the nickname ‘Tungsten’ which is said to be a honourable nod to her resilience. It is a chemical element that has the highest melting point, perhaps a reference to Meghan’s ability to be a tough cookie.
Palace insider Charlotte Griffiths revealed the nickname in 2018 and said it was a ‘term of endearment’.
“Prince Charles (now King 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. It's become a term of endearment,” the insider wrote.
It is unknown where Meghan and Charles’s relationship currently stands, as Harry has been open about his father not speaking to him as the Duke continues to talk about being stripped of security since he stopped working as a senior royal. It's certainly a unique type of daddy issue.
