'Cruel nickname' Meghan Markle was given after she and Harry quit royal family

16 February 2023 , 12:25

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Queen Consort Camilla couldn't help but use the nickname from time to time (Image: Getty Images)

Meghan Markle was snubbed with a "cruel nickname" after she and Prince Harry stepped down as senior royals, a royal expert has claimed. Royal biographer Tom Bower claims Queen Consort Camilla started referring to Meghan as "that minx" - a word used to describe a bold, flirtatious or scheming woman - after the couple moved away from the royal family to start a more 'normal' life in America.

After stepping down as senior royals in January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan started working on their own projects - such as their Netflix series Harry & Meghan, and Prince Harry's tell-all memoir Spare - to become financially independent. They set up a new life for themselves in Montecito, California, in a $14.7 million (£12 million) home with their two children Archie and Lilibet.

King Charles posing for an official portrait to mark his 70th birthday with his family (AFP/Getty Images)

The couple has come under extreme scrutiny due to the shocking claims made about their experience in the royal family and how certain members treated them behind closed doors - reportedly prompting Camilla to reassure King Charles 'that he had done the best he could' as a dad.

Mr Bower claims Camilla usually remains fairly "tight-lipped" when discussing Meghan but couldn't help but use the nickname from time to time after growing increasingly frustrated with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's public criticisms of the royal family.

Camilla was allegedly "suspicious" of Meghan when she and Prince Harry started dating - and doubted her commitment to her future royal duties.

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"From the outset, Camilla was suspicious about the adventuress from Los Angeles," said Mr Bower. "She found it hard to believe that Meghan would sacrifice her career and independence to serve silently as a team player devoted to the monarchy."

However, this isn't the only nickname Meghan has been given by a member of the royal family, as King Charles came up with one for her too, according to royal sources.

He allegedly started referring to her as "Tungsten" because, just like the super-tough metal, she's "tough and unbending".

"Prince 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 softie. It's become a term of endearment," a source told The Mail on Sunday.

Paige Freshwater