Meghan Markle has been the subject of intense public scrutiny since her relationship with Prince Harry went public two years ago. Since her royal wedding in May of last year, the criticism of the Duchess of Sussex, especially in the press, has only increased. From claims that she's difficult to work with to reports of a feud between her and Kate Middleton, Meghan has been unable to tell her side of these stories. In a new interview with People, though, five of her best friends anonymously set the record straight.
According to her friends, Meghan's "close relationship with God" has helped her make the difficult transition to life as a member of the royal family. "Meg is extremely faithful," one of her friends revealed. "We pray a lot together. We meditate. She has had, and especially has now, a very close relationship with God."
Though she was raised Protestant, Meghan was baptized into the Church of England before marrying Prince Harry. "We can still be modern women and feel all the feels with feminism and be strong moms and strong wives but understand that [our] relationship [with God] is so critical," Meghan's friend continued.
The anonymous friend also shut down the rumors that Meghan demanded St. George’s Chapel be sprayed with air freshener before her wedding, saying:
"I can’t think of anything more ridiculous. If people knew how spiritual she is and how serious and respectful she takes her relationship with God—she would never ask for something like that. The day after the wedding I said, ‘You were so serene.’ She has a huge loving fondness for Archbishop Welby. She’s like, ‘I’m there, I’m with Harry, I’m with you guys, and I’m with the leader of my church.’ She doesn’t think about the narrative: ‘What will people think?’ She doesn’t do that. She really lives in the current moment. And when you do that, there’s no fear."
Meghan's friends also pointed out that Meghan is "very isolated" in her life as a royal and that there's a lot of misconceptions about her lifestyle. “There’s a false assumption that she lives in some gilded palace with staff and ladies-in-waiting and all these royal perks,” one of her BFFs explained. “It’s simply not true.”
"The rest of us get to go out, see each other for coffee, just go, 'I’m having a [bad] day, I’m going to have lunch or do a little shopping.' She can’t" another added. "So you kind of have to look inward and go, 'How can I be part of my own solution?' And that’s really challenging."
Luckily, Meghan has her friends, husband, and close relationship with God to help her deal with all the challenges that come with life as a royal.
Photo: Getty