Meghan Markle's former friend reveals what she was like before joining Royal Family
Meghan Markle's former friend reveals what she was like before joining Royal Family
Hannah Furnell Thu, July 23, 2026 at 7:53 PM UTC
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A former friend of Meghan Markle said she was 'charismatic' before joining the Royal Family (Image: Getty Images)
A former friend of Meghan Markle has exposed what she was like before she joined the Royal Family.
The 44-year-old Duchess of Sussex's life was flipped on its head when she met Prince Harry, 41, on a blind date in London in July 2016. The couple married two years later, and together with Prince William and Kate Middleton, they became known as the Fab Four of the Royal Family, supporting the monarchy at every turn.
However, in 2020, after ongoing issues, the Sussexes officially stepped back from their royal duties and moved to the U.S. to raise their family, causing enormous tension. Since then, many have wondered if Meghan was suited to royal life. Now, a former friend has lifted the lid on how she was before Harry entered her life. It comes after Prince Harry's savage nickname was exposed by royal insiders.
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Brand and culture expert Nick Ede recalled his first impression of Meghan revealed what she was like before she became a member of the Royal Family.
The TV presenter shared, "Warm, and enormously charismatic. She had that rare quality of making you feel in the moment, and we had lots of laughs together.
"Fashionably, she was already a master of polished, accessible elegance she didn't need designer labels to look like a star, though she understood how to wear them beautifully."
In comments shared with The Express US, Nick added, "What I noticed immediately was her confidence not arrogance, but a very settled sense of herself and her place in the world.
"That quality has only grown more visible over time. We spent a lovely time together and I really enjoyed our friendship a lot."
Nick then described their relationship further, descriibing when he first met Meghan and his experiences with her regarding fashion and any other royal-related activities.
Nick Ede shared his experiences (Image: Getty Images)
Meghan's former friend said, "I knew Meghan before she joined the royal family, and even then, she had an extraordinary instinct for fashion and image.
"She was always meticulously put-together, incredibly warm, and had a natural understanding of the power of presentation."
Nick added, "We used to go shopping together and sometimes it would be Selfridges and other times we would pick pieces up from Zara!
"She knew that how you look communicates something to the world before you've said a word, and she was thoughtful and deliberate about that.
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Nick said Meghan was always 'put-together' (Image: Getty Images)
"Her taste was always impeccable, and she has a real eye for quality and proportion, and she never looked anything less than perfectly polished. We had loads of fun shopping and choosing looks for events and parties together."
Harry and Meghan left their senior royal roles in January 2020, citing intense tabloid pressure and restrictions imposed by the Royal Family, specifically the prevention of their developing the "SussexRoyal" brand.
The couple kept their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles. However, they are no longer addressed as His or Her Royal Highness (HRH). Around the time of their exit, Harry also gave up his military titles.
Harry and Meghan moved to California in June 2020, announcing that they wanted space to raise Archie. Later, Lilibet was born there in 2021.
Meghan Markle entered the Royal Family when she married Prince Harry in 2018 (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, the couple no longer has an official U.K. residence. They were asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, a Grade-II listed property on the Windsor estate.
When they stepped down as senior royals, King Charles gave them "a substantial sum" to help establish their new life, per the BBC.
Meghan is said to have particular "regrets" about how she and Harry stepped back as senior members of the Royal Family, per Grazia. According to a Los Angeles royal commentator, the former actress "does regret certain statements that she made."
As per reports, Meghan's comments "weren't received in the way that she had expected and several of her comments have backfired."
The source claimed Meghan has remorse over the "royal racist controversy," which the insider said she and Harry "deeply regret."
During their March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan and Harry claimed that "concerns and conversations" occurred regarding how dark Archie's skin might be before he was born.
"Meghan wanted the takeaway from their Oprah interview to be about her mental health, and I think Meghan regretted sitting down with The Cut [in 2022] because she provided endless commentary for her critics," they added.
Since the bombshell interviews in the early days of their post-royal life, Meghan has introduced a lifestyle brand named As Ever and produced major streaming projects through their Netflix partnership, including the docuseries Harry & Meghan and the lifestyle series With Love, Meghan.
Meanwhile, she has established the non-profit organization Archewell alongside Harry to support community, mental health, and social equity initiatives. Meanwhile, Prince William was 'seething' over King Charles' name change request for Kate Middleton.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
