Meghan Markle: Family and Background - November 2017-May 2018

[Lady Reem]

Originally Posted by HighnessN

People were mean and made snarky comments about the Middletons but not for one second did anyone think that they do not love Kate. They were a family that loves her and thus were at the wedding.

The Markles are a different story. They do not love her at all, doesnt matter what they say. Their actions show them to be the jealous and vindictive people that they are. They were not invited to her 1st wedding, so why should they come now.
If they loved her, they should have been quiet & kept out of the press. But their hatred of her was so much that they wanted to destroy her life.

Well, they should be like the rest of us & start planning their royal wedding viewing & pick their tv channel of choice.They will be at home like all of us watching Meghan marry into the royal family & "the family she never had"

I think that Meghans father is definately doing but has not shared anything with these loudmouths. He simply says" I dont know" to all their questions.

Those so-called “family” won’t be anywhere near Meghan on the day that’s for sure.

[ACO]

Meghan doing what is best for her. Their attempt at bullying her is not working. I saw Samantha (who changed her twitter handle) started tweeting again right as Meghan arrived at the reception. She did the same yesterday. The timing too perfect to be coincidence. She doing it on purpose to.

[Lady Nimue]

Had lunch today with a friend who shares Meghan's ethnic background and we talked about Meghan's half-siblings. The specter that Meghan endured real racism growing up (ouch!) from that half of her family (as has been indicated by the family itself) says it all. My friend talked about the damage that could have been done to Meghan in that kind of pincer experience being very real, yet she has emerged a strong and compassionate woman ('refined to gold'), who defines herself rather than allows others to define and limit her. What a role model!

Originally Posted by HighnessN

I think that Meghan's father is definitely going but has not shared anything with these loudmouths. He simply says "I dont know" to all their questions.

It will be interesting to see if he does attend. Very little is being shared, and for a reason, I think. The reason may be very private. We know Doria is attending but the failure to confirm Tom Sr may be rooted in issues that are associated with age and what not, not just a limp or physical health, ya know what I mean? Who knows. Whatever takes place will be for the best for everyone.

I know people are rooting for Doria to be the person to walk Meghan down the aisle. However, I question whether Doria would be willing/comfortable being front-and-center in that way at an event that is so public. I don't know her, of course. She may be fine doing so but her doing so would draw intense focus on the absent father, whereas there is another option. Given the symbolism of that walk, I would be intrigued if Harry and Meghan did something really outside-the-lines, like walked down the aisle together themselves. After all, that is the 'truth' of their relationship: Meghan's father (or mother) is not 'giving her away'. Harry and Meghan are very much giving each other to the other.

If they don't do the above I am partial to the idea of Prince Charles walking her down the aisle. It's been done before to show support of a controversial royal bride, not that Meghan is that at all, just it would be an amazing gesture of support towards Meghan (and Harry) given the complexity of the situation. JMO.

[Ista]

Originally Posted by Lady Nimue

It will be interesting to see if he does attend. Very little is being shared, and for a reason, I think. The reason may be very private. We know Doria is attending but the failure to confirm Tom Sr may be rooted in issues that are associated with age and what not, not just a limp or physical health, ya know what I mean? Who knows. Whatever takes place will be for the best of everyone.

I know people are rooting for Doria to be the person to walk Meghan down the aisle However, I question whether Doria would be willing/comfortable being front-and-center in that way at an event that is so public. I don't know her, of course. She may be fine doing so but her doing so would draw intense focus on the absent father, whereas there is another option. Given the symbolism of that walk, I would be intrigued if Harry and Meghan did something really outside-the-lines, like walked down the aisle together themselves. After all, that is the 'truth' of their relationship: Meghan's father (or mother) is not 'giving her away'. Harry and Meghan are very much giving each other to the other.

If they don't do the above I am partial to the idea of Prince Charles walking her down the aisle. It's been done before to show support of a controversial royal bride, not that Meghan is that at all, just it would be an amazing gesture of support towards Meghan (and Harry) given the complexity of the situation. JMO.

I'd be pretty surprised if Doria walked Meghan down the aisle, but I suppose anything is possible. I've been thinking that if Meghan's father isn't willing/able to walk her down the aisle, for whatever reason, I really like the Prince Charles option, for exactly the reasons you gave. I don't think it's likely, but I think it would be a lovely gesture.

[Zonk]

Well according to Radaronline ( I Know consider the source), one of Meghan nieces, Noel will not be in attendance. And thus she becomes the latest to provide pictures of Meghan growing up. I wonder if Ashley is coming?

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Zonk

Well according to Radaronline ( I Know consider the source), one of Meghan nieces, Noel will not be in attendance. And thus she becomes the latest to provide pictures of Meghan growing up. I wonder if Ashley is coming?

I believe Noel also hasn’t but had much contact with Meghan over the years, if she’s even met her, so that’s not too surprising.

[Missy-]

Originally Posted by Lady Reem

Well, Meghan wouldn’t be without family on her big day as her mother’s side are her blood family and I’m certain a quite a few have been invited. What a day for Doria, her only child getting married and she will be there with her same as before, supporting her. Just really sad that the so-called “family” have tried and tried and continue to try and ruin her daughter’s life. And yet she there she is, still standing Obviously Meghan’s close friends will be there, too. Thomas Markle Sr will probably be there as well.

And her father's family aren't her blood family?

I get the feeling her father won't be there, which is really sad.

Now I'm going to back out of this thread, I stay away from it for a reason.

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by Missy-

And her father's family aren't her blood family?

I get the feeling her father won't be there, which is really sad, and I also think there is a lot more to this story than we currently know.

Now I'm going to back out of this thread, I stay away from it for a reason.

It may be totally and completely correct that what the family is saying that Tom, Sr. never received an invitation to this wedding. He just might have told his kids that and not be lying.

Do we think that the Queen received an invitation? Or Charles? Or William? Of course not. They're all part and parcel of the wedding itself and don't *need* to be invited. I didn't invite my mother and father to my wedding. They weren't guests.

Some people that are part of this wedding don't need to be formally invited by an invitation in the mail. People that they wish to attend as guests get the invitations.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Missy-

And her father's family aren't her blood family?

I don’t think she was saying her dad’s family isn’t her blood. She was just pointing out that it’s not true none of her blood family will be there as her mother’s side is also her blood family. At least they haven’t stabbed her in the back and sold her childhood memories for money yet.

[ACO]

Originally Posted by Zonk

Well according to Radaronline ( I Know consider the source), one of Meghan nieces, Noel will not be in attendance. And thus she becomes the latest to provide pictures of Meghan growing up. I wonder if Ashley is coming?

I am not surprised. Noel told DM (?) that she barely knew Meghan. She only met her once or twice. She grew up listening to Sam bad mouth Meghan and she was surprised how nice she was when they met. Kind of sad.

Meghan is close to Ashleigh though. She has a brother Christopher.

[Lady Nimue]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

I don’t think she was saying her dad’s family isn’t her blood. She was just pointing out that it’s not true none of her blood family will be there as her mother’s side is also her blood family. At least they haven’t stabbed her in the back and sold her childhood memories for money yet.

Even if they haven't I don't see why they would be invited, either. If one hasn't seen family branches for decades it makes no sense (to me) to invite them to one's high profile wedding 'simply because' of a blood relationship. Makes no sense. Especially in this case when there is so much vulnerability for Meghan (and by extension the BRF).

The tabloids are making hay with this because this is exactly what people are tending to do: equating this wedding with any other family wedding, and it's not. This is an event. This is theatre related to an ancient institution to do with the groom's family.

In fact, were I to find myself in a similar situation with a relative (the relative being Meghan) I would not be assuming an invitation even if I were friendly and on good terms with the relative. I would view that high profile wedding as very much connected to my relative's life outside of my sphere of intimacy with my relative, certainly outside of my social sphere (what would I do at such a shindig?) My relative and I could get together in so many other kinds of ways to celebrate the happy union. In fact, I could see having a second set of vows and second reception just for us 'regular folks' in our home country. It would be so much more comfortable and happy and intimate and meaningful. That's me, but also my family. I could see that happening with my family.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Lady Nimue

Even if they haven't I don't see why they would be invited, either. If one hasn't seen family branches for decades it makes no sense (to me) to invite them to one's high profile wedding 'simply because' of a blood relationship. Makes no sense. Especially in this case when there is so much vulnerability for Meghan (and by extension the BRF).

The tabloids are making hay with this because this is exactly what people are tending to do: equating this wedding with any other family wedding, and it's not. This is an event. This is theatre related to an ancient institution to do with the groom's family.

In fact, were I to find myself in a similar situation with a relative (the relative being Meghan) I would not be assuming an invitation even if I were friendly and on good terms with the relative. I would view that high profile wedding as very much connected to my relative's life outside of my sphere of intimacy with my relative, certainly outside of my social sphere (what would I do at such a shindig?) My relative and I could get together in so many other kinds of ways to celebrate the happy union. In fact, I could see having a second set of vows and second reception just for us 'regular folks' in our home country. It would be so much more comfortable and happy and intimate and meaningful. That's me, but also my family. I could see that happening with my family.

And another point is, even say this is a family wedding, do people invite “family” that they haven’t seen or spoken to in years? I know I wouldn’t, and I would think normal folks wouldn’t either. It’s just odd.

[Osipi]

...
Lets put it this way. If blood relations deemed who was or was not invited or involved in a wedding, then it would have been just me at my wedding as I have no "blood" family. I had my mother, my father, my aunts and uncles and cousins that I was close to there though as close family.

[Lady Nimue]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

And another point is, even say this is a family wedding, do people invite “family” that they haven’t seen or spoken to in years? I know I wouldn’t, and I would think normal folks wouldn’t either. It’s just odd.

It is. It's just odd. Like others have said (maybe you) Meghan already had a wedding: who was invited then? was the family outraged then? It's so clear this is all due to the high profile, but also to the fact that the tabloids are tempting family members with money and they are biting. Can we really blame them if they are being offered tens of thousands of dollars, maybe hundreds of thousands? Maybe not, though they could have said nice things and moved on. They didn't and so the mess is revealed. Poor kid. Were the tabloids not stirring this pot it would have stayed unknown. This cannot be pleasant for Meghan however much she rises above such things, nor for Harry. I think all this may have come as a shock: I don't think Meghan or Harry anticipated this. Sad.

[ACO]

Pretty interesting article highlighting Meghan's circle of friends. What I liked about it was how they actually mentioned her non celebrity friends. You can tell this person attempted to be somewhat accurate. Also a lot of interesting quotes from some of her more well known friends.

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/201...iends-come-too

[jacqui24]

While that article has more in-depth information than a lot of the pieces I've seen. I question some of their speculation about how Meghan met and what order she met those people in. For example, it says that Cory opened up a lot of these doors for her, but she seems to be much closer to those people than he is like Markus and Jessica judging by all the available information they put up on IG. Markus has a private profile, but Jessica and Cory both have open profiles. And they speculate Meghan met Markus through Jessica, but while Jessica and Markus obviously are friends, they don't seem to be as chummy as Meghan is with both of them.

But I agree with the conclusion that her social circle isn't what you typically expect for celebrities. They are more the society type than celebrity type. And yes, I'm well aware of the Mulroneys having a public profile, but they seem to be able to walk the fine line between those two worlds.

[AlowVera]

Unless you are a total recluse, you are going to meet and form social relationships by the friends you have, the people you date or your job. Its not rocket science. You meet people, you click, you form social bonds. Jessica is a stylist and she is friends not only with Meghan but also other actors on Suits. They all share friends in common.

[Zaira]

Two articles on Meghan in the NYT: one on the finale of Suits and the importance of her role ending for the show and another one on the economics of the fashion she wears. I think the fashion one especially gives good background on the importance of both royal women (Kate, Sophie, etc) , but others too (they talk about Michelle Obama) in creating space for new brands and business for the industry. Meghan, especially, has been great about using smaller, UK brands for her pieces while still mixing in more established ones too.

I know for me, I have definitely been more invested in Meghan's fashion than other royal women. Her fashion feels more accessible to me and I was thrilled to discover Everlane because of her and now have several of their items including the Meghan Bag! I also love knowing about smaller UK brands like the Strathberry and am eagerly waiting for my bag

I also found the discussion of Meghan's role in Suits to be very interesting and the way its evolve. Well before Meghan was with Harry, my friend circle has been super into Suits and have encouraged me to watch the show. Still have not yet, but plan to soon. They are all sad to see "Mike" and "Rachel" go.


https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/25/s...s-wedding.html

The numbers began to roll in almost as soon as Ms. Markle appeared with Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in Toronto last September wearing ripped jeans from the California brand Mother and carrying an Everlane tote.

Mother saw a 200 percent increase in traffic to its website, the company said, and a 60 percent increase in Google searches compared to the same week the previous September. According to Lela Becker, the president and founder of Mother, the jeans sold out in three days and 400 people signed up on a wait list for a reorder. *There was a day when the site saw more traffic than it does on black Friday.

At Everlane, there are more than 20,000 people on a wait list for the tote she carried, according to the company. When Michael Preysman, the Everlane founder and chief executive, was asked to come up with an equivalent celebrity, he said: “Angelina Jolie.”

The white wrap coat by the Canadian company Line the Label that Ms. Markle wore for the engagement announcement sold out almost immediately, the brand said, and the website crashed. Traffic to the website of Birks, the Canadian jeweler responsible for the opal and gold stud earrings she was wearing in the same appearance, spiked 500 percent, according to Birks, and does so each time she wears a Birks piece.
Image

“We have had celebrities wear our pieces — Claire Foy, Serena Williams — but no has ever matched the magnitude of the global response,” said Eva Hartling, the vice president of Birks.

“We’ve always had coverage in Canada,” Ms. Hartling said, “but now we are in Vogue Japan, in Russia” and more.

When Ms. Markle carried a Strathberry bag for her first official appearance after the engagement, it sold out in 11 minutes, and traffic to the Scottish company’s website rose 5,000 percent. In January, she wore a pair of black jeans from Hiut Denim, a small Welsh brand, and in March the company moved to a bigger factory to fulfill demand.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/25/a...ts-finale.html

"...as Rachel, she was a subtly influential force on a pulpy legal drama that quietly had one of the most diverse casts on television. Debuting in the role of the ingénue, Ms. Markle actively repositioned Rachel out of the eye- candy slot, and by the end, her character had become the show’s moral conscience.

With the departure of Rachel and Mike, gone to start a do-gooder firm in Seattle, “Suits” not only loses a fan favorite (Ms. Markle) and one of its leads (Mr. Adams, who is also leaving the show), it also risks sacrificing the nuanced themes of class, race and corporate outsiders that their characters came to represent.

[MARG]

Well, that gives the lie to the snippy article I read totally dismissing the "Meghan Effect" as a mere fad and they were only talking about UK design firms.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by MARG

Well, that gives the lie to the snippy article I read totally dismissing the "Meghan Effect" as a mere fad and they were only talking about UK design firms.

This saddens me to say, but as long as Meghan stays attractive and skinny enough, with the exception of when she's pregnant, there will be that Meghan Effect. And I hate saying this, but that's reality.