<p id=”par-1_39″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/meghan-markle/”>Meghan Markle</a> appeared to show her true colors early on. A royal editor states Meghan “played up” to the cameras during her engagement interview with Prince Harry, and indicated early on that she manipulated the media to her advantage.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-meghan-markle-was-the-actress-during-her-first-interview-with-prince-harry”>Meghan Markle was ‘the actress’ during her first interview with Prince Harry</h2>
<p id=”par-2_36″>For the <a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TNYJEmP9RA” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Daily Mail’s <em>Reading the Royals</em></a>, editor Richard Eden shared his belief that Meghan Markle was infinitely more media-savvy than, say, Princess Diana and Kate Middleton. He spoke on Meghan’s reported manipulation of the media.</p>
<p id=”par-3_27″>He viewed a photo of Meghan resting her chin on her hand, looking adoringly at Harry. “You can really see how Meghan is the actress,” he explained.</p>
<p id=”par-4_10″>“She’s playing up for the cameras. She’s performing,” he continued.</p>
<p id=”par-5_31″>“You think of Catherine [Middleton] and Lady Diana, who were awkwardly caught, like a rabbit in the headlights. And Meghan appears to be enjoying this and playing it up,” Eden concluded.</p>
<p id=”par-6_39″>Other personality traits appeared to come to the forefront during that interview, the royal editor claimed. “Harry is a confident public speaker, but he’s nothing next to Meghan. We hadn’t seen this sort of interaction from the royals before.”</p>
<p id=”par-7_23″>He continued, “It’s in stark contrast to Catherine and Lady Diana, who were both shy. They let their fiancé<em> </em>take the lead.” </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-meghan-and-prince-harry-s-interview-was-a-master-class-in-half-truths”>Meghan and Prince Harry’s interview was a master class in half-truths</h2>
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<iframe title=”How Prince Harry became Meghan Markle’s Spare | Reading the Royals | Daily Mail” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/4TNYJEmP9RA?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-8_58″>Richard Eden claimed there was a distinct difference between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement interview and the stories they shared after exiting the royal family. The couple were coy, at best, about a lot of details that would later be revealed after they opened up to the media in the wake of their decision to leave.</p>
<p id=”par-9_40″>“When you compare this to what they said in their 2022 Netflix series [<em>Harry & Meghan</em>] you start to see the contradiction,” Eden explained. “Things such as how they Face-Timed before their first meeting weren’t shared in their engagement interview.”</p>
<p id=”par-10_35″>Eden explained how Meghan’s headstrong personality clashed with the royal family as she planned her wedding to Prince Harry. He alluded that beneath the surface of this “perfect day, lurked hidden tensions and power plays.”</p>
<p id=”par-11_52″>These included rumors of Meghan’s alleged diva behavior, with reports of <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/kate-middleton-feels-vindicated-damaging-allegations-against-prince-harry-meghan-insider-says.html/?swcfpc=1″>her clash</a> with <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/prince-harry-would-lose-too-much-divorced-meghan-not-other-way-around-says-former-royal-employee.html/?swcfpc=1″>royal employees</a> over wedding preparations. There were also claims Meghan made Kate cry during a bridesmaid dress fitting for Princess Charlotte, but Meghan later told Oprah Winfrey that the reverse had happened—Kate made her cry and later apologized.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-she-was-labeled-duchess-difficult”>She was labeled ‘Duchess Difficult’ </h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-2″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/queen-elizabeth-meghan-markle-prince-harry.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Queen Elizabeth, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in 2018″ class=”wp-image-3764090″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Queen Elizabeth, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry in 2018 | Chris Jackson/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
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<p id=”par-12_38″>Those who worked with the Duchess of Sussex leaked stories to the press about her un-royal-like behavior. They described Meghan Markle as headstrong, determined, and independent; words that typically didn’t bode well with women in the royal family.</p>
<p id=”par-13_44″>Royal insiders reportedly called Meghan “Duchess Difficult” due to her high expectations and strong opinions, a label Harry contradicted in <em>Spare</em>. Reports emerged that tensions brewed between Meghan and palace aides, as she handled matters in a way that differed from traditional royal protocols.</p>
<p id=”par-14_44″>Rumors suggested that Meghan struggled with certain royal customs and was unwilling to blindly follow tradition. Some of these included remaining silent on politics, following Queen Elizabeth’s lead on royal dressing, and walking down the aisle alone on her wedding day to Prince Harry.</p>
<p id=”par-15_34″>Ultimately, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry left their royal roles behind in March 2020. The couple moved to the United States where they raise their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/montecito-five-word-name-prince-harry-meghan-markle-sparks-buzz-nickname-stings.html/?swcfpc=1″>Montecito, California</a>.</p>