Meghan Markle Was Guarded About Her Phone Long Before the WhatsApp Leak
Even during her time as a working actress before meeting Harry, Meghan Markle was fiercely protective of her personal details.
It has been only two weeks since the Sussexes returned to the UK, and already a lot has happened. From enrolling their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in a private school, only to withdraw them and enroll them elsewhere, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been kept busy.
It was recently revealed that Markle’s phone number was leaked after she joined a WhatsApp group for parents at her children’s school. What should have been a routine task, a mother joining a school group chat to stay updated on her children's education, quickly spiraled into a major privacy concern.
Now, a former friend of the Duchess has shared that long before Markle entered the royal spotlight and faced media scrutiny, she was always exceptionally guarded about her privacy, particularly her phone number. Even during her time as a working actress before meeting Harry, she was fiercely protective of her personal details. This latest leak highlights why she has always been so cautious—and underscores just how deeply this incident may have affected her.
Nick Ede, a U.K.-based brand and culture expert and public relations specialist, recently spoke to Cafe Casino (via CheatSheet), where he delved into his own past friendship with the Duchess and shared what it was like to communicate with her without all the adornments of her current life.
“When I knew Meghan, she was incredibly personable and accessible. However, she was a Hollywood star so was always wary of people having her number. This was before her relationship with Harry and obviously before the extraordinary level of global attention that came with it, so circumstances were completely different.”
He added, “I had her personal number, and we communicated directly, and at that time it didn’t feel like some extraordinary privilege. She was friendly, open, and easy to communicate with. Of course, I would imagine her relationship with her personal phone and privacy is very different today.”
Things obviously changed after she met Harry, and her life took a drastic turn. Talking about that, Ede noted, “There was definitely a change, but I think you’d have to expect that. Her life changed almost overnight. Suddenly she wasn’t simply an actress living her own life; she was involved with one of the most famous families in the world, and everything she said or did potentially became news. Inevitably, the circle became tighter, and communication became more protected.”
While Markle herself has not commented on the WhatsApp leak, Ede says it would have surely been upsetting for her to go through so much hassle because of such a regular thing.
“I suspect the breach of trust would be the more upsetting part… Knowing the Meghan I knew, I think she would be upset by the invasion of privacy but probably even more disappointed by the breach of trust. What strikes me about the story is that she appears to have entered that WhatsApp group doing something incredibly ordinary, introducing herself to other mums and saying how happy she was to be part of the community.” Unfortunately, there is no such thing as regular when it comes to royalty, even if the royal family wants no part of their drama.
