Meghan Markle received advice about being the 'bad guy' from surprising royal
Meghan Markle received advice about being the 'bad guy' from surprising royal
Lauren Welch, Eleanor Tolbert Sat, August 1, 2026 at 5:39 PM UTC
0
Meghan Markle initially received praise from Queen Camilla before their relationship soured (Image: Leigh Vogel, Getty Images for Fortune Media)
Despite her strained relationship with the royal family, Meghan Markle initially received praise from Queen Camilla - who also shared advice on handling media scrutiny and being cast as the "bad guy."
The 44-year-old has frequently faced harsh criticism, particularly following her departure from royal duties in early 2020.
In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry revealed that his wife sought guidance from Camilla - who herself endured intense negative media coverage regarding her relationship with King Charles - to discuss the intense scrutiny she was experiencing. These days, Markle still faces scrutiny, especially after receiving low approval ratings in a recent poll.
Melania Trump's aide exposes where she's been after Lindsey Graham funeral absence
King Charles' Buckingham Palace offer to Harry seen as 'defiance' of Prince William
Harry wrote in Spare: "Meg, meanwhile, reached out to Camilla, who tried to counsel her by saying this was just what the press always did to newcomers, that it would all pass in due time, that Camilla had been the bad guy once.
"The implication being what? Now it was Meg's turn? As if it were apples to apples."
Queen Camilla offered Meghan some advice (Image: GETTY)
After Meghan and Harry's engagement in 2017, Camilla expressed enthusiasm about the American actress to reporters, reports the Express.
Advertisement
She told them, "It's brilliant and as I said, America's loss is our gain. We are all absolutely delighted. As you can see, they are so happy.
"Sometimes, you know, in a climate where we are surrounded by a lot of bad news, it's a real joy to have a bit of good news for once. As I said before, we are delighted."
Yet privately, Meghan was navigating difficult dynamics with particular members of the royal family - including Princess Catherine. In his memoir, Harry recounted an incident that illustrated the stark contrast between their respective upbringings.
He revealed a particularly "awkward moment" in which his sister-in-law allegedly "grimaced" at his wife over the way she used some borrowed lip gloss at a backstage event.
Harry wrote, "All this came on the heels of an awkward moment backstage. Meg asked to borrow Kate's lip gloss. An American thing. Meg forgot hers, worried she needed some, and turned to Kate for help.
"Kate, taken aback, went into her handbag and reluctantly pulled out a small tube. Meg squeezed some onto her finger and applied it to her lips."
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
