King Charles is said to have given his daughter-in-law, Meghan Markle, a rather unique but very telling nickname before she married Prince Harry.
Although The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have long left royal life in the UK, having swapped the spotlight and financial support of The Firm for an independent life in California, they were once set to be a key working duo in the monarchy.
Flashback to November 2017 and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had just announced news of their engagement, putting planning for a royal wedding in motion. It's believed that prior to the the couple's nuptials, former Suits actress was given an unusual yet meaningful nickname King Charles, who was then known as the Prince of Wales.
Charles's special nickname for Meghan seemingly reflected his opinion of his son's new partner, highlighting the strength and resilience he saw in her.
According to royal journalist and author, Katie Nicholl, the King referred to Meghan as 'Tungsten', which is a metal known for being 'exceptionally strong'.
In Nicholl's 2022 royal biography titled The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown, she penned, "Charles reportedly nicknamed his future daughter-in-law 'Tungsten' because of her toughness and resilience."
The Daily Mail also shared reports of Charles's sweet moniker for Meghan back in 2018, with a source reportedly telling the publication at the time ,"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."
Katie Nicholl's biography also claims that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first joint engagement with the Prince and Princess of Wales in February 2018 really highlighted Meghan's confidence and self-assurance to Kate and William.
Recalling the foursome's appearance at the Royal Foundation Forum, Katie wrote, "It was, according to one aide, the moment William and Kate, who was heavily pregnant, realised they needed to up their game."
Hailing Meghan the "breakout star"of the event, the book continues, "She was polished, passionate, and funny, using all her TV-honed skills to present her case."
Despite ongoing tensions between the Royal Family and Harry and Meghan, following their exit from The Firm, their bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview and the release of Harry's Spare memoir, it seems that Meghan still has a fond view of King Charles.
Speaking in her and Prince Harry's Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, she recounted how the King walked her down the aisle on their wedding day in light of a strained relationship with her own father.
"Harry's dad is very charming and I said to him, 'I've lost my dad in this.'," Meghan explained. "Him as my father-in-law is very important to me, so I asked him to walk me down the aisle and he said 'yes.'"
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