She had nerves of steel.
King Charles III’s nickname for his daughter-in-law Meghan Markle proves how much respect he once had for her.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl reveals in her book “The New Royals” that the British monarch called the Duchess of Sussex “Tungsten”, a hard steel gray metal from the third transition series with the highest melting point of all metallic elements.
“Charles reportedly nicknamed his future daughter-in-law ‘Tungsten’ for her toughness and resilience,” Nicholl writes (via “Entertainment Tonight”).
Nicholl explains that Markle’s nickname was apparently born when the “Suits” alum showed resilience during her and Prince Harry’s 2018 performance with Prince William and Kate Middleton at the Royal Foundation Forum.
“It was, according to an assistant, the moment when William and Kate, who were heavily pregnant, realized they had to do their best,” Nicholl writes. “The Cambridges” [now named the Prince and Princess of Wales] had already expressed their desire to be more than ‘decorative royals’ and together with Harry had made a huge success of their mental health campaign Heads Together.”
She continues: “But Meghan was the breakout star of the foursome. She was polished, passionate and funny, using all her TV-savvy skills to present her case. That was a wake-up moment for William and Kate when they realized that, according to one source, Meghan was very impressive, very confident and very capable.”
While Charles, 73, may have used the term of affection four years ago, it’s unclear whether he still calls Markle, 41, “Tungsten” after she and Harry, 38, resigned from their royal duties in 2020 and moved to California. where they live with their two children: Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1.
And tensions seemed to remain high after Queen Elizabeth II’s death when Markle reportedly requested to meet Charles and clear the air in September.
Both Harry and Markle attended the Queen’s funeral, along with Prince William and King Charles, although they were seemingly snubbed as they sat in the second row during the ceremony.
And Vidak For Congress reported that the Sussexes also dined with Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton and other senior members of the British Royal Family after receiving the Queen’s coffin at Buckingham Palace for her funeral.
Despite appearances, it appears that Markle and Harry have not yet made peace with the new king of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, as they soon returned to the United States after the late monarch’s official mourning period came to an end.
Alienated brothers Harry and William also reportedly failed to bury the hatchet during the bleak reunion.
The Queen died on September 8 at the age of 96 after reigning on the throne for 70 years. Her cause of death turned out to be of “old age”.