Meghan Markle is unlike Prince Philip because she reportedly doesn't believe in the monarchy. The institution is not in her blood, and it is "alien" to her, according to an author and historian.
Meghan Markle Vs. Prince Philip: Their Differences And Similarities When They Joined The Firm
Historian Dr. Tess Dunlop, the author of the newly-released book Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy, weighed in on the differences and similarities between Prince Harry's wife and late grandfather when they joined the firm by marriage. According to her, the comparison was inevitable as Prince Philip and Markle were both outsiders of the institution and were born overseas. However, they entered the institution with different mindsets.
"The difference is Philip understood and believed in monarchy because he was born royal. He, therefore, bought into and understood the institution he was entering [by marriage]," Dunlop told Express.
The expert added that the husband of the late monarch understood how "humiliating exile was." In their era, there was no social media or an easier way to make a career, unlike today, where the Duchess of Sussex is making money through podcasts.
Dunlop also believed that Prince Philip didn't want to suffer the humiliation of being a royal without money or a throne.
"Philip was a product of the early 20th Century when we still really believed in monarchy as an institution and something we deferred to, we thought it was superior to us in many ways and had a magic to it," Dunlop explained. "Meghan hasn't come from a Royal Family, quite the reverse, she has come from the New World, America, where they got rid of the monarchy 200-300 years ago."
The expert added, "Now, America has its selected kingship to this day, the president, and they have always admired the tinsel and trappings and pomp and ceremony and so of course Meghan was going to be impressed by that, but she doesn't believe in the institution because she is American."
Meghan Markle Starstruck By The Idea Of Princes And Princesses But Doesn't Believe Them, Expert Claims
Dunlop weighed in on Meghan Marke's stand in the institution. According to her, the former Suits star never managed to disentangle the difference between the tinsel and soft power from politics that the monarchies in Europe have achieved over the centuries.
"So Meghan grows up in a culture that reveres and it's a bit starstruck by this idea of Princes and Princesses because they are foreign and otherworldly, but it doesn't mean she believes in it, it's not in her blood like it was in Philip's, but it's also something that is alien to her and not part of her political or national heritage," Dunlop explained.
She added that there was no period of "test-drive" for Markle when she joined the firm because she married Prince Harry "in a flash of lightning."
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex started dating in 2016, got engaged in 2017 and tied the knot in 2018.
In contrast, Prince William and Kate Middleton started as friends before they dated. They were together for almost 10 years before the Prince of Wales asked the Duchess of Cambridge's hand in marriage. They tied the knot in 2011.
Some experts were convinced that Prince William took his time before he married Middleton, and it was an advantage to her. It gave her enough time to be ready and embrace the royal life that awaited her when she joined the firm.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about Meghan Markle.
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