Camilla Jessen
Why the King compared Meghan Markle to a chemical element.
Long before family tensions unraveled in public, King Charles and Meghan Markle were said to share a respectful bond.
While that relationship appears strained today, a resurfaced detail from earlier years shows how the monarch once viewed his daughter-in-law.
Surprise announcement
When Harry and Meghan’s relationship first became public, it reportedly blindsided Charles.
According to Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the then-Prince of Wales was informed just 20 minutes before the announcement was released.
A carefully planned Middle East tour was about to begin, and staff at Clarence House feared the romance would dominate headlines.
The timing frustrated aides who had spent months preparing the trip, the authors wrote, but Charles was said to understand why his son felt compelled to confirm the relationship.
By 2018, Meghan had become part of the family, and Charles walked her down the aisle at St George’s Chapel when her father could not attend.
The unexpected nickname
Writing for the Mail in 2018, royal insider Charlotte Griffiths revealed that Charles privately referred to Meghan as “Tungsten.”
The name, taken from one of the toughest chemical elements on Earth, was intended as a compliment.
“Prince 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,” Griffiths wrote.
The nickname, she said, became a quiet “term of endearment” within the household.
Sources: Finding Freedom; Mail
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
