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Prince Philip Used Nicknames For Meghan Markle That Were Nothing Short of Brutal

While some of the nicknames given to Meghan Markle were quite affectionate, others were controversial.

Even before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex parted ways with the Royal Family, sparking speculation followed by controversial statements, Meghan Markle was given several nicknames. While some of these were quite affectionate, others were brutal. One of these less flattering nicknames was 'Duchess Difficult', allegedly used by the staff at the royal palace. Now, a royal author and lecturer, Hugo Vickers, has revealed another popular yet brutal nickname that the late Prince Philip reportedly used for the Duchess of Sussex several years ago.

In his biography titled 'Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History', the author wrote about the time when Prince Harry first introduced Meghan to his grandparents, Philip and Queen Elizabeth II. He then mentioned the Christmas Party that Meghan attended alongside Harry at Windsor Castle in 2017 and said, "The staff at Sandringham joyfully surrounded the couple at the annual Christmas party and nicknamed the actress 'Sparkle'. Prince Philip, however, was not taken in. He referred to her as 'the American', as reported by HELLO Magazine.

Vickers further revealed the reactions of other royal family members and wrote, "Nor were the Royal Family entirely happy, Prince Charles taking a Mountbatten line – have fun with her, but don’t marry her. The Queen suggested that Harry should wait a year." Previously, another royal biographer, Ingrid Seward, claimed in her book, My Mother and I, that Philip also had a different nickname for Meghan. He called to her 'DOW', referring to Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. She was a divorced American socialite whom King Edward VIII married in 1936, and Philip found Meghan similar to her.

Meanwhile, the bond shared by Philip and Meghan has also been quite well-known. He, along with the late Queen, attended the royal wedding of Harry and Meghan at St George's Chapel in May 2018. This was a rare moment as Philip retired from the official royal duties in 2017, aged 96. Describing the moment, Vickers wrote, "It was not certain if Prince Philip would come, but at the last moment, he felt up to it. He and the Queen arrived by car at the Galilee Porch." The Duchess also made a special comment about the late Prince in her 2022 Netflix documentary.

She remembered her first Christmas with the royal family and said, "At dinner, I was sat next to H's grandfather, and I just thought it was so wonderful and I was like, 'Oh, we chatted, and it was so great, and I talked about this and talked about this'." Despite this, in his book entitled The Rise and Fall of the House of York, author Andrew Lownie claimed that Philip warned his grandson about his decision to marry, stating, "One steps out with actresses, one doesn't marry them." A similar warning was also highlighted in a 2019 report by The Sunday Times.