Queen Camilla Used a Secret 'Royal Gesture' That Showed Her True Feelings About Meghan Markle

Queen Camilla extended a message of welcome and kindness to Meghan Markle through her subtle signals and small actions when she walked into the family. After a smooth beginning, it quickly became one of the most talked-about royal rifts. Royal historian Andrew Morton provided some fascinating insights regarding Markle's early attempts to blend in with the royal family in his fascinating book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess. In a remarkable break from traditional royal protocol, Camilla showed extraordinary warmth toward the American actress at Prince Charles' 70th birthday celebration in 2018. "This rare royal gesture was a sign of how quickly the American actor had been accepted and treated with genuine affection by the Royal Family," Morton noted in his book.

The author observed how Camilla broke with convention with these secret gestures, choosing to hold hands with Markle and kiss her goodbye – actions that spoke volumes in the carefully choreographed world of royal behavior. Morton's insights proved particularly revealing: "On that day, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who had previously advised Kate Middleton on the finer points of protocol during her royal apprenticeship, was, without saying a word, signaling to the watching world that Meghan was now 'one of us'." These gestures carried special weight given Camilla's position as the wife of the future king, as per Mirror. 

Despite initial indications of approval, the fairy tale began to unravel. Markle talked candidly about her difficulties and demonstrated how hard she worked to blend in with the royal family in a Netflix documentary. She recalled her last days as a senior royal at a particularly moving moment: "I tried so hard, and that's the piece that's really triggering because you go: 'And it still wasn't good enough. And you still don't fit in.'" It raises questions about the complex connections within the royal family given the contrast between those early gestures of welcome and what transpired subsequently.

Things got tense for Prince Harry and Markle which pushed them to make the big choice to step back from royal duties in January 2020. Moving to Montecito, California was a huge change for them and it signified a clear break from the royal life they were part of. Richard Kay, a confidant of the late Princess Diana, noted that palace circles were "particularly nervous" about Harry's attitude toward Camilla, especially given the historical context of Charles and Diana's marriage breakdown, as per Express.

Today, the gulf between these early shows of acceptance and the current situation seems vast. Markle and Harry have their lives in California with children Archie and Lilibet, focusing on what Markle called "freedom to have family moments out in the world. And I want our kids to be able to do that and to be able to travel and to fall in love. I just want them to be happy." Harry added, "The world that they see is how I would love the world to be. They don't worry about, they don't need to worry about the things that we worry about."