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No matter where you look today, Meghan Markle is still top news, years after leaving the British Royal Family. 4 years after quitting the spotlight, Meghan’s every action is still analyzed by Royal fans and the mainstream media alike… but not usually in a positive light. Meghan has one big problem she couldn’t hide forever.
How did someone so initially beloved take such a rapid fall from grace, and what can we learn from her deterioration? Is Meghan actually a victim, or is there something bigger happening to her?
Today we are exploring the one big problem that led Meghan Markle to become voted one of Hollywood’s biggest losers, instead of her glorified trajectory as a Hollywood actress turned Princess.
Foundational Facts
When Meghan Markle became a household name, the world was ecstatic. A pretty much unknown American actress had won the heart of the worlds most eligible royal bachelor– the message was clear–fairytales DO exist– a woman from America could meet and marry a Royal British Prince and live happily ever after. Well… that’s at least what the world thought at the time.
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement in the fall of 2017, the press was extremely positive about how beneficial this union would be. She was applauded as the future of the Monarchy, a breath of fresh air, and a welcome change. But after their promises to “hit the ground running” resulted in only 72 public working days in 3 years, Meghan and Harry called it quits and moved to California in 2020, blaming their departure on a racist institution, biased press and an unwelcome nation.
Since childhood, Meghan Markle has had aspirations to be a renowned star like Julia Roberts. As the daughter of an award winning Hollywood Director of Photography, Meghan grew up on film sets and undeniably enjoyed a life of privilege. She followed in her family's footsteps and worked towards becoming a star… and it wasn’t until after decades of hard work when in her early 30s she finally got her big break on a B list Canadian cable TV show as number six on the call sheet-- Rachel Zane in Suits. Soon after, she started her lifestyle and travel blog, The Tig, where she aimed to inspire and educate her followers about her life. After meager success, including some pay-to-play positions in UN women and humanitarian work, things took an entirely different turn after she turned her sights towards the UK, and began searching for an eligible bachelor with the help of a friend. The rest, of course, is history.
Meghan's Big Problem
Meghans whole life she has had one big problem she can’t get past– and it’s a problem the press initially ignored and wrote off as her being “down to earth”... but she couldn’t hide this problem forever. No matter how much Meghan desires to be seen like her late mother in law, Princess Diana, she doesn’t hold a candle to her.
Unlike Princess Diana, Meghan isn’t elegant.
No matter how much she tries, Meghan leans into the wrong stereotypes of elegance, rather than embracing its foundations. Meghan is incredibly beautiful, there is no doubt. However, she has inadvertently branded herself as cringy, needy, untrustworthy and disrespectful to the general public because she has totally missed the point of elegance.
In fact, this persona is exactly what SouthPark picked up on and mocked both her and Harry for– the complete opposite of their former life as a respected Senior royal couple in Windsor.
Downfall Breakdown
On her wedding day in 2018, headlines were breaking that her father wouldn’t be making it across the ocean to walk her down the aisle due to a serious heart attack… leaving only her mother, Doria Ragland, as the sole representation of her family. Her fellow Suits cast mates had been invited to the ceremony… but not the reception. Oprah and George Clooney had received invites, but later admitted to never meeting her before that memorable day. Was there something to hide and fear for her old and new life mixing?
After a thorough evaluation of Meghans history, it's hard to really know WHO is Meghan Markle. Over the years, her personality, stories, and passions have completely changed– from politicial intern to struggling actress, to influencer, to chef, to humanitarian, to socialite to Duchess…
This matters because Feminine Elegance is grounded in authenticity and trustworthiness– Classically feminine elegant women live out their values and are recognized for their commitment to them. Meghan instead leaves a trail of broken families, friendships and lawsuits in her wake.
To be seen as elegant, you have to be authentic and vulnerable. Symmetry is also visually manifested in peoples' wardrobe with a signature style that fits them and reflects their values... Meghan’s disloyal and deceptive reputation is reflected in her unflattering, unkempt wardrobe which doesn’t help her pursuit of elegance.
Meghans vulnerability has always soured to victimhood and her authenticity feels forced and controlled. Things are never her fault.
Meghan's Efforts
Education and intellect is also clearly important for Meghan, and she tries extremely hard to speak the part. But her efforts to sound cultured and accomplished often come across sounding completely incoherent and nonsensical. Like shes trying to sound smart.
In her effort to insert herself into the conversation, she speaks frequently with often nothing of substance to say. Elegance doesn’t try to assert itself, or usurp the conversation to gain attention. Instead, Elegance is found in strategy and simplicity, and is never absolutely never demanding.
In order for Meghan to gain true elegance, she has to learn that Less is More– in her dress, how she carries herself, and absolutely in her speech– the attention she seeks can actually be found in silence, rather than excess information (which we certainly have received so much from The Sussex’s over the last year-- between her podcast, Netflix series, their books, and random public appearances). This kind of behavior pushes really influential people away from them in fear that they, too, may end up in the saga.
Before Meghan became the Duchess of Sussex, fans who knew of her, may have known TOO much of her…if you catch my hint… in fact, Prince Phillip may have been right in his warning to Harry to never marry an actress. Seduction is an art that must be mastered, and Elegant women have accomplished this. They know that Seduction doesn’t have to just be sexual. Seduction is about using the imagination to creatively attract someone… and Meghan has some work to do here.
The subtleties of seduction have been railroaded by her desire to come first– be it cutting in front of Harry, speaking for him, or inserting herself where she shouldn’t be… her Seduction is absolutely squashed. She doesn’t leave any room for imagination in her public persona, and even in her wardrobe… It often seems like she is trying TOO hard. If Meghan stepped back, truly let her humor shine through, and just had fun with her husband… We’d see a very different and maybe much more attractive Meghan.
Respect for Her Late Majesty
In their Netflix Documentary aired in December of 2022, Meghan reenacted her first time meeting the Late Queen Elizabeth II, comparing the experience to Medieval Times with a huge bow. The world was shocked… how could she compare such a regal and historical institution to an American Dinner Theater?!
Meghans lack of respect for history, her husband’s legacy and tradition were truly shocking to so many people, and clearly she was unfit to be a part of the British Royal Family if this was her approach all along.
Elegant women have a deep respect for tradition and long lasting, timeless dress and action that endures for generations. Meghan’s deep disrespect to her husband’s legacy has been so detrimental to her brand. Even Princess Diana, who suffered at the hands of the very same British Press as Meghan, said that through all her trials she would never disrespect The Crown, because that was her children’s future. Meghan has completely disconnected her children from their heritage. If Meghan wants to leave a legacy for generations to come, she should really reconsider her rejection of tradition.
Conclusions
Meghan isn’t elegant, as much as she wants to be. Elegant women embrace Symmetry, Subtraction, Seduction and Sustainability in their everyday lives to create a lasting memorable and positive impression.
Unlike fellow American actress turned royal Princess, Princess Grace Kelly-- who embraced classical elegance and loved the tradition she married into-- Meghan will continue to flounder.
By rejecting these 4 components to elegance, the Duchess of Susssex comes off as cringy, awkward, needy, and untrustworthy. By understanding more about elegance than just its stereotypes, we too can position ourselves to be powerful, influential women who will leave a mark on our communities and world.
When you trash your family, overshare, reject tradition, and dress sloppily– you simply will not be elegant. And pretending you are is… just, well. Cringy.
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