Prince Harry’s Girlfriend Meghan Markle Accepted By Kate And Royals, But Not Quite There With Pippa Middleton


Prince Harry looks like he is determined to stay true to Meghan Markle no matter what obstacles the lovers face, and it appears his tenacity is paying off. Meghan will get to be Harry’s plus-one for part of Pippa Middleton’s wedding, and at Kate Middleton’s Kensington Palace home, Meghan is part of the family.

The wedding invitation is a bit of a compromise though, and there are still some hurdles to face before the prince and the Suits actress can finally announce their engagement. Being royal has its perks, but the protocol is intense and there’s no way around it.

Queen Elizabeth is one of the hurdles if one is allowed to describe the monarch that way. Prince Harry’s grandmother famously has to approve his bride, and Meghan isn’t like most other royal brides. Markle is a divorced, biracial, American actress. She’ll be the first British princess in all those categories if Meghan and Prince Harry put a ring on it.

The good news is that Kensington Palace is totally cool with Markle’s presence. Most guests at the huge London estate that Duchess Kate, Prince William, Prince Harry, and “dozens” of other royals call home have to “undergo a thorough security check and follow a strict protocol,” according to a palace insider who shared with Us Magazine.

The British upper classes love fancy dress, and Meghan Markle has made a start on fitting in like a princess. [Images by Chris Jackson/Getty Image and Rachel Murray/Getty Images]

As Prince Harry’s girlfriend, Meghan Markle, doesn’t have to worry about all that uptight royal family security protocol any more than Prince William and Kate Middleton have to. She’s “waved right through” the palace gates like one of the family because her boyfriend insisted that’s how things are.

“Harry has made it clear she’s to be treated like everyone else who lives there.”

Each of the royals has a team of aides and advisors to keep things running smoothly. It can be tough for a girlfriend to navigate the royal waters when there’s no one to steer.

Harry and William’s mother, Princess Diana, was left out in the storm by herself to sink or swim. The ordeal was supposed to be some kind of a test to see if she could make it as Princess of Wales.

Times have changed since Diana’s day. Harry, who has recently spoken out about his mental health as he tried to work through dealing with the effects of Diana’s death, is making sure that his girlfriend won’t have to face the horrors of Princess Diana’s life.

Markle has full access to Prince Harry’s team so that she’s never left wondering what to do, and she always has protection from the kind of paparazzi-style media who caused Diana’s death.

“There have been many times where Meghan’s been unsure of protocol and having access to Harry’s aides has been a godsend.”

Meghan has so much influence with Harry that the Daily Express wonders if it was Markle who convinced her boyfriend to go public about Diana’s death. Meghan is super open about mental health issues, and her mother is a therapist.

Harry is becoming more and more like his own mother, Diana, with his “new-found open nature,” and there’s “speculation” that the change is because of Harry’s girlfriend.

Harry’s mental health speech was a bit of a shock to Brits, who don’t expect their royals to be anything more than superficially charming. Diana’s popularity was all about her unusual warmth and openness. Meghan’s influence might have convinced Diana’s son that honesty and vulnerability are good traits, even for the royal family.

William’s younger brother has another influential supporter too. Hello magazine wrote that on Wednesday afternoon, Kate Middleton shared what she thinks of young Harry. “He’s been brilliant,” she said about her brother-in-law’s decision to go public with his mental health concerns.

It’s just the beginning of the road to becoming a princess for Harry’s girlfriend. Meghan still hasn’t met Queen Elizabeth, let alone received her blessing to marry her grandson. That vital step could take a while. It took Kate Middleton and Prince William four years.

It took four years for Queen Elizabeth to be introduced to Kate Middleton. [Image by Fanny Trang/Getty Images]

In the meantime, there’s one thing that would make a big difference. Pippa Middleton’s wedding is coming up on May 20, and Middleton isn’t budging on her guest list for the wedding ceremony.

Pippa decided to let Harry and his girlfriend join the rest of the wedding guests at the reception, but Harry will have to fly solo at the church. The Daily Mail (via People) wrote that the invitation confusion is probably just because Pippa’s guest list was all done before Harry went public about his girlfriend.

“I would not be surprised if Prince Harry was not given a plus one, as the wedding guest list would have most likely been made in fall of last year when Prince Harry’s relationship with Meghan was not as public.”

There’s that strict royal protocol again. It isn’t that difficult to add one person to the list and let her sit in a pew at the church. Prince Harry’s such a gentleman that if there actually isn’t enough room, he’ll stand so his girlfriend can sit.

The Vanity Fair podcast, In the Limelight, shared that Meghan Markle’s place at Pippa Middleton’s wedding is the “ultimate indicator of just how serious her romance is with Prince Harry.” Meghan and Harry fans will have their fingers crossed that Pippa gives in and lets Meghan join Harry at the church ceremony.

What do you think? Does Meghan Markle have a powerful influence on Prince Harry, and will it be enough to get her an invitation to Pippa Middleton’s wedding ceremony?

[Featured Image by Darren McCollester/Getty Images and Philip Coburn/Getty Images]

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