Magnificent Ms​ Markle

Meghan Markle has not only captured the heart of the world’s most eligible bachelor, she’s also a remarkable woman who is as kind as she is stylish.

- Sandra Parmee

Ever since news broke of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship, we’ve all been obsessed with the American actress who stars in legal drama series Suits. Sadly, some of the coverage has been negative – to the point where the royal palace released a rare public statement, condemning the press for the ‘wave of abuse and harassment’ that Meghan (35) has been subjected to. ‘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,’ the statement said. ‘Prince Harry is worried about Ms Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms Markle should be subjected to such a storm.’ The statement was made in the hope that it would encourage the press to back off a bit.

The truth is, any girlfriend of Harry is guaranteed to be plagued by excessive media attention. In fact, his previous girlfriends have struggled to cope. ‘It’s not something you get used to,’ Zimbabwean-born Chelsy Davy, who Harry dated on and off for seven years, has said. While Meghan has experience with the media, she’s perhaps more of a target: she’s American, an actress, divorced and three years older than the royal. Then, there’s the fact that she’s biracial – her mom is African American and her dad is Caucasian. Of course, this should be a complete non-issue, but it has disappointingly ramped up the public’s interest in her.