Harry Recalls Meghan’s First Ride on Royal Train That Charles Is Now Retiring: ‘She Was Nervous...'
King Charles recently made the shocking decision to retire Queen Elizabeth's beloved royal train, which has been part of the family’s legacy since Queen Victoria's reign. Even Meghan Markle has fond memories of it. Prince Harry once detailed his wife’s first royal train journey in his memoir, Spare, sharing how it helped her bond with the late Queen.
Soon after tying the knot with Harry, Markle joined the former monarch on her visit to Cheshire. The trip allowed the two to spend some quality time alone and bond over shared interests. According to Hello! magazine, the Duke revealed how Markle and the Queen’s conversations revolved around dogs and pregnancy, with the latter also giving her granddaughter-in-law tips on how to induce labor. He penned, “Days later, Meg went off on her first royal trip with Granny. She was nervous, but they got on famously. They also bonded over their love of dogs.” The Prince added, “She returned from the trip glowing. 'We bonded,' she told me. 'The Queen and I really bonded! We talked about how much I wanted to be a mom, and she told me the best way to induce labor was a good bumpy car ride! I told her I'd remember that when the time came.’”
Markle's closeness and comfort with the Queen were on full display during their trip. However, while they started off good, the late monarch was later warned by her husband, Prince Philip. According to the Daily Mail, the late Duke of Edinburgh compared Markle to Wallis Simpson, for whom King Edward VII abdicated from the throne. Royal insider Ingrid Seward detailed, “While the Queen continued to champion Harry’s new love, he warned his wife to be cautious. It was uncanny, he told her, how much Meghan reminded him of the Duchess of Windsor.” Having met Simpson, Philip found similarities between her and Markle. The insider continued, “He wasn’t simply referring to the fact that both were pencil-slim, dark-haired and glamorous American divorcees.” Despite the warning, the Queen had high hopes for Markle and everything she could have achieved while being in the royal family.
Coming back to the royal train, a cherished possession of the former Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, it will be decommissioned in 2027. The decision came after the release of the family’s annual financial accounts. Consisting of nine lavish burgundy carriages, the train featured an office, sleeping quarters, and dining areas, a home for the royals when traveling. Keeper of the Privy Purse, James Chalmers, explained the sovereign’s decision and said, “The royal train, of course, has been part of national life for many decades, loved and cared for by all those involved. But in moving forward, we must not be bound by the past.” Chalmers continued, “Just as so many parts of the royal household's work have been modernized and adapted to reflect the world of today, so too, the time has come to bid the fondest of farewells, as we seek to be disciplined and forward-looking in our allocation of funding.”