Inside Meghan’s close relationships with the Queen and Kate
She officially became a royal after her wedding to Prince Harry on May 19, and from the outside it seems the Duchess of Sussex has quickly adjusted to her new role.
There’s no doubt her husband Prince Harry has been helping her along the way, but Meghan can also rely on the assistance of two very senior royals: The Queen and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Meghan has already had high-profile outings with both Her Majesty and Kate – and their relationships has been strengthening behind-the-scenes, too.
“What’s characterised these months are the two great relationships that she has struck up with the Queen and with Catherine,” Robert Lacey, historical consultant for The Crown, tells PEOPLE. “They seem to be her closest friends and partners in the official set-up.”
In fact, Meghan became a fast favourite with the Queen due to her connection with the Queen’s beloved corgis.
“Harry gave the clue to it when in the [engagement] interview he talked about how well the corgis had taken to her instantly. That seems to be a metaphor for the Queen and everybody else has taken their cue from that,” Lacey adds.
The support Meghan receives from her sister-in-law and the monarch looks to be more important than ever as Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, and her half-sister, Samantha Markle, continue to speak out against the royal family.
In a recent interview with The Mail on Sunday, Thomas called his daughter “cold” and said he has “no way of contacting my daughter” because “she’s cut me off completely.”
“She’d be nothing without me. I made her the Duchess she is today,” he said, adding that “it would be easier for Meghan if I died” because “everybody would be filled with sympathy with her.”
Meghan had not publicly responded, taking a page out of the royal rulebook to act with grace and rise above the gossip.