Royal Author Reveals The Bizarre Nickname That King Charles Once Gave Meghan Markle

Over the years, Meghan Markle has had a slew of unflattering names. However, during her time as a working royal, one nickname from King Charles III particularly stood out. Early in her marriage to Prince Harry, Charles gave her the bizarre nickname ‘Tungsten.’ The metal, known for its toughness and unbending nature, alluded to Markle's resilient personality.

Before Markle entered the royal fold, she was called ‘Meg’ by her loved ones. After her nuptials to Prince Harry, the now-King Charles, given his fondness for her strong nature in the face of adversity, gave her the odd moniker. A Palace source told Charlotte Griffiths from the Daily Mail, “Prince Charles admires Meghan for her strength and the backbone she gives Harry, who needs a tungsten-type figure in his life as he can be a bit of a softy.” Tungsten, the strongest naturally occurring metal on the planet, was meant as flattery.

Royal Correspondent, Katie Nicoll, also shed light on the origin of the nickname in her book The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown. She shared that the nickname paid homage to Markle's first joint appearance alongside Harry, Prince William, and Kate Middleton during The Royal Foundation Forum. She claimed that Markle was the 'breakout star' and came across as 'polished, passionate, and funny' as she used all her TV-honed skills to present her case. This prompted Charles to christen her with the unusual metallic nickname.

The Royal Foundation Forum wasn't the only event when Charles praised his daughter-in-law. Nicoll revealed that the two reportedly ‘became close’ when Markle asked Charles to walk her down the aisle after her father bailed. Charles reportedly was 'terribly touched' when she asked him to walk her down. He allegedly told his friends, “She is so intelligent and so nice. She makes Harry happy. We could not like her more.” Markle’s father, Thomas, pulled out of the big day over a supposed heart surgery.

Following the Sussexes 2020 departure from the royal family, Charles ditched his praiseworthy nickname. Sharing her take on the King's pain, royal expert, Jennie Bond, told The Mirror, “It must remain a great sadness to the King to be so distant from his two US-based grandchildren. He hardly knows them, and there is no prospect of that changing any time soon. I hope the King doesn't dwell on his loss too much, but it must hurt.” Charles is said to have met his granddaughter Lilibet only once. His late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was also ‘blindsided’ when her grandson chose to leave the royal family and move to the States.