Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s mystery matchmaker is…Violet von Westenholz?

Prince Harry and fiancee Meghan Markle during a visit to Cardiff Castle as part of their royal duties

I love a good conspiracy and I love a good mystery, and Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have some mysteries. We still don’t know who set them up on that blind date, and we still don’t know exactly when that blind date happened, and if Meghan was still technically with her boyfriend – the Canadian chef – when she started up with Harry. Well, E! News thinks they have the answers. Harry and Meghan were not set up by Jessica Mulroney (well-connected Canadian) or Misha Nonoo (fashion designer) or Markus Anderson (a mutual friend). E! says the matchmaker was Violet von Westenholz. Hm.

E! News can confirm for the first time that the real heroine of this love story is actually Harry’s childhood friend Violet von Westenholz. Her dad is a baron and very close to Prince Charles and she’s been in Harry’s trusted inner circle of friends for years. Her younger sister, Victoria, was once even touted as a possible girlfriend for Harry among the society elite in London, but Violet had become a confidante for Harry when it came to matters of the heart.

“Harry was having a really hard time finding anyone,” admits our well-placed source. “It’s hard enough finding someone new to date. He can hardly go on Tinder or a dating app like normal people, but to meet someone that you actually connect with, that was proving to be almost impossible. It was something he had confided in his closest friends about; he was ready to meet someone but it was so hard to actually find the right person.”

That is until Violet and Meghan’s paths crossed. The girls became friends through Violet’s PR work with the fashion house Ralph Lauren. Our source explains, “Meghan had been a part of the London social scene for a while and had slotted into the high society set really easily. And so when Harry told Violet he was having trouble finding someone, Violet said she might just have the perfect girl for him.”

Violet’s instinct, of course, was spot on. As we now know, the pair immediately clicked and after two London dates they jetted off to Botswana for a magical week-long vacation under the African stars.

“Even with Chelsy [Davy], Harry didn’t feel this kind of spark. And they were together for years! Harry just knew immediately, from the moment he spent time with Meghan, that he wanted to be with her. It’s a simple case of meeting the right girl at the right time.” Friends say, now that Meghan and Harry are just months away from tying the knot, the groom-to-be is just as besotted as ever. “Meghan really does come first for him. He’s honestly absolutely smitten,” we’re told. “His friends love her too; she’s been a really good fit into the group. Harry has definitely settled down since they got together. He doesn’t go out as much as he used to when he was single, but that’s to be expected and his friends understand that. He is preparing himself for married life and what that will bring.”

One pal admits, “Meghan did put someone’s nose out recently because she was introduced to them at an indoor location and didn’t take her sunglasses off. But that’s really been her only faux pas.” And that flub can be forgiven. “We are all just really happy that he finally met a woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.”

[From E! News]

How gauche, she didn’t take off her sunglasses! Nitpick much? Good God. As for being set up by this mysterious friend… sure. What’s become increasingly clear is that Harry and Meghan actually had several mutual friends and would have probably crossed paths eventually without being set up. But I’m glad the set-up happened and yes, this would make a good rom-com. As for Harry being a changed man… I believe it, up to a point. I think he’s matured a lot in the past 3-4 years, some of it because of Meghan, some of it just because he’s in his 30s and that happens.

Prince Harry and fiancee Meghan Markle during a visit to Cardiff Castle as part of their royal duties

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet a street dance class during their visit to Star Hub, a community and leisure centre in the Tremorfa area of Cardiff

Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.

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175 Responses to “Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s mystery matchmaker is…Violet von Westenholz?”

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  1. FredsMother says:

    WWWhoooo?

  2. sparrow2 says:

    “Meghan had been a part of the London social scene for a while and had slotted into the high society set really easily.”

    And this was before she even met Harry??

    • Midigo says:

      Right, this sort of mistery surrounding how they met, where and when is increasingly odd.

      • Hh says:

        Same. I’m assuming Meghan was with her chef bf (or very recently broke up with him) during the time she met Harry. Not only is there a mystery of their first date, but if you recall, during their engagement interview they both have a different timeline of their relationship. Not just any minor difference, but one of about 6 months. Meghan said they’d been together about 2 years, and Harry corrected her by saying about 1.5 years. Sometimes couples get timelines confused, but that’s when they are YEARS into their relationship.

        I’ll be interested to see which of Meghan’s friends attend the wedding. Does she have any from before her time on Suits? A few people have said that fame changed her. While I don’t doubt they were cashing in, they could also be speaking the truth. I saw her Instagram before it was shut down and she was definitely angling for some sort of hustle. Posting photos of the right people, the right places, and doing the right things. She reminds me very much of Pippa in this regard. Neither are mean spirited people, and both genuinely enjoy what they do/did, but always with the benefit of advancing their hustle.

      • Patty says:

        Of course it’s odd. People never ever get details mixed up about how or when they met. Harry must be gay and this is all an elaborate cover up. He couldn’t find a British woman to be his beard so he went with the next best thing; an older biracial C/D list American actress. She’s over 35 and she’s black – you know she had no other prosoecrs and no choice but to accept it.

        Or people are just reading way too much into this. You know sometimes couple give different timeframes because one goes by first date, and one goes by when you became serious. One may count a time period when they were in break. Some people remember all the details and some don’t. Not a big deal.

      • Midigo says:

        Patty, i don’t know. It,s not like they were classmates and they can’t remember exactly the day their friendship started to be something else. In their case there must be one day / one place when / where they first met and another day when he asked her out alone. It’s not that difficult.
        I certainly can remember the first time I met my husband (it was a party and I can remember every single detail of that magic night ); I remember our first date, our first kiss, and so on. And by the way, if you ask my husband his memories are exactly the same.
        Ah, that party was on March 2nd, 1991.

      • Masamf says:

        Meh, different strokes for different folks. If I didn’t write my kids’ birthdays, I honestly would have had a hard time remembering them. I remember the years and months but not the dates and thats not because its been a while, its just that I don’t place that much emphasis on remembering those things, its not that important to me. Many times my kids remind me that its my birthday, but I rarely remember those dates. I don’t remember the dates of when my boyfriend of 20 years and I first met. I remember it was sometime in 1994 but thats about it. Not everybody has as good a memory as everyone. For some of us, remembering just the year the event happened is good enough and there’s nothing sinister in not remembering. My sister-in-law has been married to my brother for over 20 years but I asked her recently how long she’s been married and she said “hmm, I don’t remember, probably 10 years”, I LOLed and reminded her they were married Nov or Dec 1994 and I remembered that because the wedding was right after my brother in law’s funeral. Some people’s memories are not as good as other!

    • PIa says:

      Yeah I doubt that. She was a full-time regular on Suits, shooting in Toronto. Yes, actors do get time off, but Meghan was hardly in the Daily Mail or Tatler on a regular basis.

      I smell a planted story.

      • TQ says:

        Yep. Calling bs too. Definitely planted story.

      • Milla says:

        Or simply made up.

        Btw his inner circle is also Chelsea’s. So nah.

        Maybe they met on tinder. Or via someone really famous in politics. But the press is hungry. Why can’t it be that she was in London and someone introduced them and that’s it? That’s how many people meet… And if she was still with her ex, who cares? It happens.

    • sunnydeereynolds says:

      Well, you know, according to the people here, she’s supposed to be a very good and super famous actress and the best humanitarian. So I guess she also has to be one of London’s hottest socialite now too before she met Harry. *Rollseyes

      • Maria says:

        LOL!!!

      • Annabelle Bronstein says:

        Don’t judge me but I read a weird story from Piers Morgan about how they were friends and he knew her from before she met Harry in London social circles. So there may be some truth to it.

      • Milla says:

        Annabelle, I don’t trust anything that pos says. He loves 45, calls him his buddy as well. He’s everyone’s bff.

        I do enjoy reading his crap, it’s fanfiction gone wild.

      • Masamf says:

        Annabelle, Piers Morgan said that he was the one that initiated contact. This is what he said and Im paraphrasing: After watching and liking the show, he started following all Suits actors on twitter and sending them messages on their pages. Meghan was the only one that responded and they kind of stuck a friendship which lasted years and she would send him episodes in advance etc etc. Then sometime in 2016, she told him she was gonna be in London and if he was interested in them meeting up for a drink. He said he gladly accepted and they met at some joint in London. He describes the time Meghan walked into the bar and how many jaws needed to be picked off the floor etc. Anyways, they ordered drinks and Meg was constantly checking her phone etc. Then at some point she said she had to leave and he put her in a Uber. “I think I put Meghan in a Uber and sent her straight into Harry’s arms” etc…..thats what Piers said.

      • Sensible says:

        Lol, best comment yet.

    • Mumbles says:

      Yeah that puzzles me as well. She’s an actor from California who went to Northwestern and films in Canada, at what point was she involved with London society?

    • sunny says:

      I believe it. She is a member of Soho house which means she has access to all Soho houses around the world. And while it tends to be pretentious as hell(even for a private member club), so many incredibly well-connected people have memberships. Even within soho house ecosystem, there are areas that only the most well-connected people can gain access to. It is a great way to build connections- a few of my friends who are Toronto members have made great business connections through members they meet in other cities.

      I would assume between this, her political connectedness through both the UN and the Mulroneys(who are Canadian political royalty(sigh) and their global connections, she is someone who probably had a fair amount of well-connected friends. It would be too far to say socialite or anything of that ilk but she no doubt knows a lot of people.

      • Masamf says:

        Sunny, I totally agree with your posts. And yes, hard as it is for some to believe that Meghan was well connected pre Harry, it is true, I mean from what she shared with her fans etc. And I just shake my head when people paint Cory as some saint to Meghan cheated on. Cory was the player in the relationship. He posted and updated his profile as a single person (no longer attached) way back in May 2016. So, no, as hard as it is to believe that there’s no real scandal surrounding Meghan and Harry, there really is nothing, they just both were unattached at that point and happened to meet and fall in love. And really, Meghan might have not been that much known but she was a high profile celebrity, just ask al those starlets that hang around Hollywood for years trying to land some tiny role in any movie and they’ll tell you how much they would give to be on Meghan’s show. Its easy to diss a person when we come on here hidden behind our computers but Im sure many of us on here are simple nobodies that have no grounds to be dissing Meghan!!

      • Veronica says:

        Masamf,
        First of all, I don’t think any of us are “nobodies.” And how can Meghan have been that much known and a “high profile celebrity” at the same time?? Those are opposites, no? Unless you mean in some other way?

      • Masamf says:

        Veronica, let me clarify. What I meant by “nobodies” is that “some of the posters” (and I’m willing to bet that most) that are posting dissing Meghan and calling her a Z rated actress and all other disses posted on here, are nowhere near Meghan star status, thats what I meant.
        “High profile” and “not that much known”? What I meant is that to people that are dissing Meghan she was unknown and a Z rated actress etc. To us that knew her and followed her way back before she met Harry, she is a high profile celebrity. I mean, just to name a few: Meghan had been on her show for 5 years before she met Harry, she was a UN ambassador, she worked with World Vision Canada, she did charity work with American troops in Afghanistan and many other things that she does. So, yes Meghan was a high profile person pre Harry even if its hard for some to believe.

      • Addie says:

        Sunny, Meghan’s best friend for years has been and is Markus Anderson who decides who gets in, and who meets whom at SoHo House. I’d bet money that it is Markus who set up the meeting that included best friend Meghan and Prince Harry. It is easier to claim a nameless woman as the matchmaker to ease suggestions that Markus was using his position in order to connect his bff to famous people. Harry fell for Meghan’s charm in no time flat and the rest is history. That the couple couldn’t get their timeline right is off given the relative newness of their relationship. At the end of the day it is their business. But if they want to tell the world about their lurve, get the story straight.

      • Masamf says:

        Addie, + 10000 on your post. I bet my last dollar it was Marcus that was the matchmaker. And I’m my view, since Meghan and Markus met in Soho Toronto, it was very easy for Meghan to get into Soho London where people of that class hang out so to speak so me believes Soho was the starting point. And Markus being Meghan’s date at opening of incites Toronto and also being with them at the closing ceremony was very telling, I don’t believe the “we have to protect her” bit at all. Also, there were reports that were flying around that wen they first met, Harry pursued Meghan relentlessly but that she was in the middle of a break up of a relationship and she felt she was not in any position to start a relationship at that time even though she was flattered that a prince was interested in her etc. Now Cory having updated his status to “single” round about May and the rumors that he cheated on Meghan, I believe Harry and Megs met sometime in May but didn’t start dating till her and Cory finally called it quits.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Social media plus Toronto-based talk reported in May was breaking up after a last-ditch effort holiday, generally around rumors of his cheating. Fits with her then going to London for work, getting set up in July, etc.

        Given the general tumblr (and not only tumblr, other royal discussion sites) reaction to this relationship, I don’t blame H+M for keeping their introducer’s name secret. If tumblrs have set up a petition to stop Meghan from getting a title, who knows what they’d do to that poor person who set up a blind date?

        If someone asked me, I’d be hard-pressed to name the number of months accurately about events in my own life. I just don’t keep track and count time, not my nature. I know, some would say “she should have had it all memorized exactly” – and then you would blame her for it being “too memorized, obviously false”.

        Letizia was seeing someone else when Felipe had a friend set up a dinner party so he could meet her. That’s how life is sometimes. I remember a survey done where a large percentage of men admitted they stay with a woman they know they don’t want to marry, because they want someone around while they’re looking for Miss Right (a la William and possibly Beatrice’s former boyfriend).

    • Lobbit says:

      There are pictures of Meghan with Violet von Westenholz from 2016 and they look pretty chummy, so it’s not hard to believe that she was at least acquainted with her and that whole set before she met Harry.

      • Masamf says:

        I don’t doubt that Meghan is friends with Violet, I really believe all these high profile people hang out at the same posh places in London, but I don’t believe Violet was the one that set them up.

    • Meggles says:

      Celebs not revealing every single detail of their relationships is not “odd” or “suspicious” or “a mystery” or whatever other Tumblr narrative gets trotted out every single time a male celebrity gets a girlfriend. It’s not especially strange that two largely (then) unknown women could have met each other and become friends without the press knowing about it, and it’s not at all unusual for friends to fix each other up.

      The comments upthread are word for word identical to those being said about Cumberbatch, Dornan, Pattinson, 1Direction, Reedus, Hammer, etc etc etc etc. Please try to be less obvious. (And the half a dozen brand new posters all appearing at the same time to agree with each other doesn’t exactly help.)

      • magnoliarose says:

        They are the same people. I am convinced.
        Anyway, it is surprising who is connected to you. People act as if celebrities live their entire lives in photographs and if it doesn’t fit their narrative then it couldn’t be true.
        Aristocrats like hanging out in certain places and there are places in NYC that they frequent along with their New York society friends and often people who aren’t well known or minor celebrities. They aren’t hard to be introduced to or befriend if two people click.
        Meghan became connected and part of a set that connected to other circles. My friend has a theory that there are six social circles in New York and they overlap in some instances.
        As hard as it is for some to believe they would rather hang around Meghan or someone like her, no matter her humble beginnings who is authentic than someone pretending to be like them.
        Julian Fellowes once wrote about that.

    • Talie says:

      If you checked out her Instagram before she deleted it…that summer she met Harry, she was tagging a lot of posh, connected people in her London photos. She was out and about at all the hot places too.

    • Veronica says:

      Meghan spent a lot of time in London?? Has this been reported before, or is it more of the made up fairy tale???

      I do believe in fairy tales, I do, I do!!!
      LOL!! Please. I’m dying of a sugar overload. I like true love, but this is so sweet, it seems fake.

      • Masamf says:

        Veronica, it seems that you first noticed Meghan after her relationship with Harry was outed thus your “has this been reported before” question. You seem to not want to believe anything nice said about Meghan even when its a well documented fact that can be easily googled and found on the internet. Just google and you’ll find lots of information about Meghan’s friends pre Harry, its all out there. I’m willing to bet that Harry associates with very few people in a very close knit group and those people are not any Tom Dick and Harry out there. What that means is that Meghan had to be very well connected within same circles of people as prince Harry in order for them to be set on a blind date.

    • raincoaster says:

      When you live in Canada, specifically Toronto, and you have enough money, you go to London and New York for a weekend. Because, I mean, have you BEEN to Toronto? It’s super-anglophilic and there are flights to London about once an hour, not even kidding.

  3. LAK says:

    Gosh, E news cribbing articles from the DM. Several months later!!

  4. Alexis says:

    I am watching “The Windsors” on Netflix and it is so funny. The Pippa character is the funniest to me with their references to her party planning books. “You must have teacups along with the tea kettle”…”the sandwiches are supposed to go on Top of the tray”. lmao

    • Snazzy says:

      There’s a show called the Windsors? Must watch immediately

    • sunnydeereynolds says:

      Camilla is the funniest to me in that stupid show.

    • MellyMel says:

      Omg yass! I just started watching that show last week (LAK and someone else said it was really funny) and I like it a lot! Pippa and Camilla are hysterical! The whole is show is so silly but in a good way.

    • Tulip Garden says:

      Just recently binge-watched The Windsors and I love it in all of its silliness! The Fergie character really tickles me with that voice 🙂

    • Karen says:

      Must watch!

    • Alexandria says:

      Ermahgerd that scene of Anne with her nieces was hysterical!!!

      https://youtu.be/RKgiVuP4Qrk

      • babykitten says:

        That was hilarious. The next video that popped up was Tracey Ullman’s take on Camilla. She put down her Range Rover with a shotgun when it broke down. And referred to pound notes as “mother-in-laws”.

      • Trying Again says:

        hahahahahahaha. I never heard of this show.
        It’s hysterical. Monty Python meets the Veep

    • Milla says:

      That first episode freaked me out. Wham and princess Leia… George and Fisher died in 2016, this was filmed earlier that year.

      But it’s hilarious.

    • AnneC says:

      Same people need to do “The Trump’s”. Making fun of some of the most hideous people on earth.

    • BCity says:

      How did I not know about this?! Must one have…WATER as well?! 😂😂😂😂. Apologies to my husband, for we are bingeing this for the foreseeable future.

    • Veronica says:

      I just started watching this and I’m rolling on the floor laughing in the first 5 minutes!!!!

  5. littlemissnaughty says:

    Was that dig at Chelsy really necessary? It’s so trite and boring. He was NEVER really in love before he met Meghan! FATE! Stop it. You can have real, important, and wonderful relationships that simply end.

    • Harla says:

      Exactly!!! And every love affair is different, so when folks say they’ve “never been in love like this before” I just roll my eyes and think of course you haven’t, this is a completely different person.

    • Maria says:

      The comment about Chelsey is an insult to her. They were together a long time and they was definitely chemistry between them. It’s like Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden , in his engagement interview said that he had never thought one could love like this. This really hurt his ex gf of ten years who also gave an interview saying that she thought they had love during that time.

      • Cannibell says:

        Especially as they’re still close enough that it appears she’ll be invited to the wedding. They ended up as friends, which is a lovely outcome.

    • Meggles says:

      Agreed, it’s so nasty and unnecessary.

    • magnoliarose says:

      I think it was directed at the people who push that idea that she was his one true love. I guess it was an attempt to shut it down. ???
      I wonder if Chelsy even cares at this point. She was engaged a few years ago, but it didn’t work out. She isn’t carrying a torch and has a life that has nothing to do with her past with Harry.
      It is a silly thing for the article to even mention.

    • Masamf says:

      Harry did not say anything negative about Chels, its the tabloids stirring up trouble. Im sure Chelsey knows harry better than anybody else, and she knows he’d never diss her like that. The tabs are obsessed!!

    • Veronica says:

      Now, come on!! Chelsy just went to law school, became a jewelry designer, and dated Harry for, what, 7 or 8 years?? Of COURSE his love for her can’t hold a candle to his burning, all-consuming passion for Meghan, the Sainted.

      Seriously, I hate this, too. It is just mean, and that women think it is appropriate bothers me, too. We talk and talk about not being sexist, and not pitting women against each other and respecting all of us, and then when anyone is mentioned who is the slightest competition for Meghan, the vitriol just pours out about them!!

      Harry seemed to love Chelsy for many years. He seems completely besotted with Meghan as well. We shall see if it lasts.

  6. Snap Happy says:

    I call BS on that spark thing. Chelsy and Harry seemed to have a lot of chemistry. Different couple and different time.

    • Rhys says:

      I feel similar. You don’t go out with someone for years if you don’t genuinely want to be with each other. I love Meghan and Harry together but theirs is still new relationship. Let’s first wait that the wedding goes through.

  7. Alexandria says:

    Well, fun gossip and I’ll take this with a pinch of salt though it’s not hard to believe that Harry would have a difficult time finding a wife. I had to Google both the sisters and they are giving me Pippa Middleton vibes at some angles lol. The only thing I did not like about this gossip was having to mention Chelsea. Come on! Let her live her life!

  8. Rhys says:

    How many more glorifying adjectives can you fit in that little bit of info of their Coupleship? It’s okay. We know he is smitten. We also know he is in his 30s and his brother has his own family. I’m sure Harry didn’t relish the perspective of being a third wheel at this point.

  9. Maria says:

    It was definitely a woman that set them
    up because in the interview Meghan said they had to protect her privacy.

    • Lobbit says:

      I think it was Violet von Westenholz for sure. Meghan definitely has a history with her and a few months ago The Telegraph asked the woman to confirm that she was the one that set them up and her answer was super coy – something like “I’ll leave it for others to say. I’m just happy they’re happy because they’re great together” or some such.

    • Elaine says:

      Right, but if they were being truly clever, they could have *said* it was a woman, even if was actually a man. They can lie to the public full throttle and no one will ever know.
      *Evil cackle*

      #SubterfugeInPlainSight!

      • Masamf says:

        I think the “we have to protect HER privacy” was a deliberate red herring to send the media off to some wild goose chase of figuring out which “HER” it was. If they said “HIS privacy” it would have been easy to figure “HIM” out, but her? Like, Meghan had countless female friends, its still not confirmed who it was really.
        On Harry and Chelsy, I honestly don’t believe Harry would say anything negative about Chelsy. And I believe that as there are some that hate Meghan there are some that hated Chelsy and those might be the people that are dissing Chelsy now, not Harry. In regards to Harry feelings towards which woman, we outsiders will never know how he felt but it is possible to date someone for years and even marry them but not actually be in love with them. People marry for the wrong reasons all the time, case in point prince Charles and lady Diana. Harry might have loved Chelsy but really not felt he was in love with her. And the “he is 30 and has to get married” is just a no go to me, Harry didn’t have to get married. He proposed to Meghan because he felt he was ready. Unlike his brother who HAD to marry and produce a heir to the throne, Harry was not shackled by any of that so he could have taken his time if he wanted to. If rumour is to be believed, he had been searching for the right person for a long time, and during that time, he dated numerous women but never really felt what he knew he would feel when he met “the one”. Not saying this article and the spark stuff is the truth but Im saying it could actually be a possibility.

      • notasugarhere says:

        I think it may have been an attempt to protect a mutual friend from tumblr-based abuse. If they’ll set up a petition to stop Meghan from getting a title, what might they do to the person who set H+M up?

      • RoyalSparkle says:

        +1

        Violet or Noonan (‘Husband’ shirt designer). Lets hope N-A – Toronto celebrity stylist Jessica, will be replaced to HRH Princess Henry I/w. The POW blouse was a disaster – gaping bosom while Sparkle huddle with the kids in Wales.

      • Masamf says:

        Are you serious Notasugar? I don’t go to tumblr so I have no idea!! That is total insanity!!
        RoyalSparkle, I loved Meghan’s Cardiff top LOL, I really did.

  10. Lucy says:

    Whatever the case is, I’m just happy he met a nice woman whom he wants to share his life with.

  11. FredsMother says:

    That outfit Meghan is wearing is lovely. Nice jacket. But it would have looked better with some oxfords/loafers not dem boots.

  12. Hotsauceinmybag says:

    Why does Harry’s sweater in these pictures make him look photoshopped into the shots lol

  13. Carol says:

    My pet peeves include people wearing sunglasses indoors and not taking sunglasses off when you meet someone new so I don’t consider that nitpicking.

    • graymatters says:

      Even when I’m outside in the bright sun, I’ll take off mirrored sunglasses to talk to someone. I’m with you. Sunglasses etiquette matters.

    • Ally says:

      Eh, my sunglasses are prescription so I don’t take them off indoors unless I’m going to to be there for a while because its a pain to have to carry your glasses case, a phone, your wallet if you’re just getting groceries.
      I do take them off when I’m a the checkout so as not to be rude to the cashier.

      • imqrious2 says:

        Mine are prescription, too. They’re trifocals so I need them to see the card reader to input my “Loyalty Number” and sign for the receipt! I also have to keep the glasses on to clearly see someone’s features lol, otherwise they’ll be a bit “fuzzy” in details. Does anyone know if Meghan wears contacts? Perhaps she didn’t have hers in that day…?

      • Veronica says:

        You can just put them up on your head. That is what I do. I feel SO RUDE meeting someone or even greeting someone with my sunglasses on.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        “You can just put them up on your head.”

        …but if they are prescription, that means you can’t see!

    • marmalazed says:

      Agreed.

    • equalitygadfly says:

      Yes! Drives me NUTS when people don’t take off sunglasses inside when conversing. I’m a Harry and Meghan fan, but no, NO! on this. A definite faux pas. It signals: “I think I’m much better than you, and I really don’t want to be here with you.”

      • Olive says:

        meh, different strokes, different folks. it’s not a universal faux pas.

      • Lady D says:

        I’m very good at reading expressions on people. I’m not bragging, I am good. There has been more than a few times I’ve accurately told people exactly what they are thinking, based on their facial expression. Apparently it’s one of the survivor skill learned under extreme duress, fear and pain, which I lived with for over 15 years of my youth. I spent my entire childhood in a flight or fight mode and I think it became semi-permanent in my brain. I can’t carry on a conversation with someone wearing shades. If I can’t see their eyes, I end the conversation. I have to, there’s no fighting this. I need to see your eyes. I literally start backing up when talking to them. It’s even hard when it’s my friend I’m talking to. Fortunately they are friends for a reason. I also think it’s really rude to leave shades on when someone is talking to you.

      • notasugarhere says:

        In my case it signifies I’m someone with really light-sensitive eyes, to the point of eyes watering constantly if it is too bright. Even when it is cloudy but still bright, I’ll wear sunglasses. If I’m outside talking to people, I have to talk to them with my shades on *or* get people to move to the shade to talk.

      • K (now K2!) says:

        A lot of people with sensory processing problems need sunglasses to be able to function at all. It’s a way of reducing sensory overload, and similar to wearing ear defenders.

        Obviously not relevant here, and I hope people don’t mind my mentioning. But I realise awareness of this issue is poor, and people on this site tend to be really great at understanding diversity, so I thought it would be worth saying. If my son wears sunglasses in winter inside it’s not to be rude. It’s so he can manage sensory input just as anyone else can. A surprising number of people have sensory issues – it’s not restricted to autism.

      • equalitygadfly says:

        I can understand eye sensitivity — but that is easily explained by a quick, “Don’t mean to be rude, but I have eye issues.” Done. IDK, it is one of those things drilled into me as being very rude (if not for medical reasons) — just as bad as calling someone and just saying, “Is so-and-so there; instead of, “hello, this is X, may I please speak with X….” lol.

      • Lady D says:

        My apologies. I never thought about people with light sensitivities or sensoryinput issues. Thank you for reminding me so nicely. I also wear sunglasses because of light issues. I understand this is my problem, that I can’t have a conversation with someone wearing eye covers, but I will remember what you and nota said, @K (now K2!) next time it happens.

      • Masamf says:

        There are many conversations left unmentioned in many of these articles, we only get a bit of what really went down or just get the writer’s opinion. In this case, we really don’t know why Meghan kept her glasses on, was it an eye problem? Did she apologize to first person she came in contact with then other person joined them after she apologized? What really went down, we really don’t know. Hey we don’t even know if it happened in same way or sequence that the reporter reported it.
        I’m just gonna say I take all these stories with a pinch of salt.

    • Char says:

      I wear sunglasses indoors for medical reasons.

      I don’t owe anyone an explanation or apology for my disability.

      • MrsClincy says:

        My youngest brother has a severe sensitivity to bright light and has to wear sunglasses inside and outside even though he refuses when he’s in the house and after the 50th time of hearing my mom explain to everyone how he has light sensitivity I finally lost it and told her that she didn’t owe anyone an explanation about her sons medical issues. I wear sunglasses outside and don’t take them off until I get inside but that was never an issue growing up because everyone did it.

  14. Other Renee says:

    “Our source explains, “Meghan had been a part of the London social scene for a while and had slotted into the high society set really easily.”

    How was she a part of the London social scene if she was living in Canada?

    • graymatters says:

      She traveled a lot and probably met up with a lot of British socialites (I imagine Canada is a good place to meet the British contingent of the jet set) around the world. If I could, I would spend a lot of vacation time in London.

      She probably met them at private parties, so the DM wouldn’t have pictures.

    • Malako says:

      Good golddiggers are capable of adapting to a higher up society very easily.

    • Elaine says:

      Agree @Other Renee. I think this is a huge exaggeration. She went to Wimbledon and attended a party or two while she was here.

      Yes, the international party jet-set crew traverses boundaries, so she probably knew a few people as fashionable acquaintances (Like Piers Morgan *eyeroll*) but to suggest she was a long time, London socialite party girl is way off the mark.

      But whatever. We have our Princess Meghan Sparkle, she has her Ginger honey Prince, so everybody wins 😉

      • Masamf says:

        The way it seems is that everyone one of us writes and adds a bit more info to what was already written which changes the entire article. I don’t see any “London socialite party girl” TBH. And Piers already described how their friendship transpired. Meghan also had lots of pictures of her and friends in London or Paris or Milan etc, on the Tig. If Meghan had not dated Harry and these articles popped up, all evidence would still be on the Tig and on her insta, but oh well! When Meghan and Patrick did a joint interview for Suits, they mentioned how they travelled extensively to promote their show, so yes, Meghan is well travelled and well connected people.

  15. Mar says:

    This story was SOOOOO written in favor of Megan.

  16. Maum says:

    It’s getting tedious.

    Meghan seems very lovely and accomplished but this is PR overkill.

    Not only is Harry besotted, but rght from the start they had an instant connection that was more intense than what he felt with the girl who many described as ‘the one who got away’?

    As for the socialite thing- it feels like a dig at Kate- even though Kate went to a very posh public school and clearly mixed in high circles she was never really seen as part of the elite aristo club- however Meghan (who no-one in the UK had really heard of before she started seeing Harry) was a high society party girl?
    This is so overcompetitive.

    Why can’t they be a more mature couple who met through acquaintances and fell in love? They clearly are committed to each other, THEY’RE GETTING MARRIED! We don’t need an overexaggerated gushy fairy tale story.

    They really need to work on their PR.

    • Peeking in says:

      Does Harry feel like Chelsy is the one who got away? If not, then it doesn’t matter what others think.
      I agree, they should have left his ex’s name out of this story.
      I saw no connection to Kate in the story, I think that’s a bit of a reach.

      I wonder if they (or whomever is) are “selling” the fairytale because of the racial issue. Could they be trying to convince people of their love to be more accepted? If so, I’ll give them a pass.

      • Maum says:

        If it doesn’t matter what others think why have there been so many stories about Chelsy recently?

        From a UK perspective these stories just seem too much. It’s very People magazine and feels unecessary considering Harry is a popular Royal and so far public reception (aside from the Fail) seems to have been very positive towards Meghan.

        I think the connection to Kate is more in the sense that there were a lot of stories about Waity Katie and her desperate sister and ‘doors to manual’ mum.
        No such gaucheness about Meghan. She is a socialite and has always been part of the UK inner circle.

        As I said it just seems too much and whatever the motives it’s the kind of PR that puts people off.

    • Sage says:

      I always thought their relationship would fizzle after the IG in Toronto…something about their relationship seems PR to me. The VF article was just weird and unexpected.

    • Meggles says:

      It’s unlikely it’s PR, it’s just tabloids being tabloids. Meghan is clearly a shrewd and ambitious operator when it comes to managing her image. Yet whenever an article comes out that makes people see her in a negative light, everyone assumes she must have planted it herself. Why on earth would Meghan intentionally plant bitchy, gossipy articles in tabloids, especially ones that would expose her as a liar (outing the person who set them up after explicitly saying she’d keep the person’s identity secret) if anyone ever discovered they’d come from her?

      Only a complete idiot would do something like that.

      • Maum says:

        I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily bitchy it’s just over-compensatory.

      • Bellagio DuPont says:

        @Meggles

        Thank you. 😘😘😘

        One always assumes that this kind of stuff is obvious, but apparently, it isn’t.

      • Masamf says:

        Ditto Meggies. When there’s nothing for tabloids to write about, they make things up, and thats what I believe is happening here. At this moment, Harry and Meghan are a hot item and any article about them sells so all the tbs are trying to cash in. Now whether these stories are true or not is anyone’s guess. I just don’t get why people complain about all these stories about Harry and Meghan when none is being forced to read anything you don’t like. I mean, celebitchy is full of great pieces about different people, Meghan included, why click on Meghan related articles if they upset you? There is an article about Melania here but I never even bothered to click on it. Out of no fault of hers, I just don’t like Melania and anything that’s related to her and her life never gets any of my attention and, you will never hear me complain about any sugary articles about Melania. And if I didn’t like Meghan? Trust that any Meghan related articles would not get any of my clicks, period.

      • Princessk says:

        I can never fathom why people actually think Meghan plants PR stories. The main reason that Meghan stories and Meghan’s name crops up all the time is because she is ‘hot property’ as far as the media is concerned, over the next few years she is indirectly going to make a lot of people very very rich, one way or the other. The RF quite hate the way unscrupulous media use their images and fake stories to make loads of money, it irritates them enormously. I was so happy that very few pictures of H&M got out before they were engaged.

    • Lobbit says:

      It’s just fluffy gossip, though…

  17. Sam says:

    Enews playing catchup since The Times wrote an article about this like 2 days after their engagement.Meghan is part of soho house in London and has been before Harry,she may have mixed with some of them but fully part of London society…I doubt it.

    • Olenna says:

      I honestly don’t know what to make of this article. IMO, it does neither one of them any favors. Too, it reads like fiction and just more speculation about when/how they met. That aside, it’s possible there are some people in Harry’s circle of acquaintances who are willing to discreetly spill a little tea because they’re quite not on board with this relationship (or they like the attention). Anyway, I definitely know f-all about Soho house and who MM has networked with as a member (I do recall a pic of her talking expressively with Trudeau), but it’s possible she’s been savvy enough to work her way up the food chain to London society thru this channel. Now, how long she’s actually been there, if so, will likely remain a mystery.

  18. Joannie says:

    I’ve heard it was Piers Morgan who set them up. He was asked by MM herself for an introduction to Harry. They met at the Soho house in London for a drink. How true this is I don’t know as I wasn’t there.

    • graymatters says:

      When H&M were first outed to the press, Piers Morgan wrote that he had met MM for drinks in June/July (I don’t remember) and she received texts during that encounter. She mentioned that she was newly single then, and navigating the dating/texting world.

      I can’t see Harry allowing any member of the media that level of intimacy with his life.

    • LAK says:

      Piers Morgan would shout this from the rooftops if he had a hand in it. He is a star chaser and completely indiscreet about it. Look at how often he has discussed that one encounter with MM.

    • Masamf says:

      Piers never said anything of the sort. You can listen to his clip on youtube and he never said anything of the sort.
      Right LAK. And Piers has said he sought Meghan and other Suits cast members till Meghan responded to him but the rest didn’t.

  19. HoustonGrl says:

    I’ll never get passed the fact that she was with someone else when it happened. There’s a reason they fudged the timeline.

    • Maum says:

      Has that really been established? If so and if she did ask to be set up with him it doesn’t reflect very well on her.
      It makes her ‘friend’s interview more plausible.

    • llamas says:

      I agree that the timeline is weird. She said 2 years, he said 1.5 years. They said they were dating for 6 months before it became public. I read about it in Oct/Nov which would mean their relationship would have started in April or May. But then others say there is no way they met until June or July. I’m not sure why there is so much inconsistency around the timeline. It’s a tad strange.

      • HoustonGrl says:

        I agree. Either way, it’s very close timing. Even if she didn’t cheat (which I believe she did), if you’d been living with your boyfriend for two years and have two dogs, wouldn’t you want to catch your breath before dating someone new? The chef hadn’t even moved out yet.

      • whatever says:

        I’m glad I’m not the only one iffy about their timeline. Why is it so inconsistent if there is nothing to hide? The response to this question in the engagement interview makes me side-eye them…well her more since it seems like she is the one that slipped up ….

        REPORTER: ….and this is how long after you first met?

        MEGHAN: It would be a year and a half..2 years…a bit more than that?

        HARRY: No its about a year and a half

      • Veronica says:

        I don’t think it really matters if she dating someone else or breaking up with someone when they met – if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. But what is weird to me is that Meghan tried to make it a longer timeline than Harry did, like she is trying to keep people from calling it a “whirlwind romance.”

        That is weird. I remember the week, the month, the exact place I was when I met my future husband. And it was 43 years ago.

      • Maria says:

        I never really understood that “meant to be” stuff. Seems to me a lot of “meant to be’s” end up in the divorce courts. I remember when I met my first husband 42 years ago same as you, Veronica. My second one 1996 after both our spouses had died. Was it “meant to be ” that both our spouses died in their forties? Sorry, getting cynical. But the fudging of the dates makes me wonder if she did meet Harry in May when she was still with Cory.

    • CityGirl says:

      But you know, meeting someone while you are with someone else is life – it happens. What matters really is treating the existing partner and relationship with honesty and respect – ending it before starting with the new. Who knows? Maybe she had an agreement with her ex to publically represent that they were split before she met Harry. (He’s a celebrity in his own world too. Stranger things have happened.)

      • Maum says:

        I absolutely agree. But it does make the true love gushy PR fest a bit tacky.

      • HoustonGrl says:

        I don’t buy that meeting someone else just “happens.” If you’re honest and respectful with your partner, you don’t open yourself up to the possibility of dating someone new. A graceful exit strategy doesn’t make it right. Break up first, heal, move on. These are healthy steps before starting a new relationship anyway.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Since the Toronto-based rumors were the chef was cheating, they were on the rocks, last vacation was an effort to mend that failed? Her going to London for work two months later and being set up with someone new doesn’t seem unusual.

        Joachim and Alexandra of Denmark were separated and their divorce settlement was being determined. Mutual friend set Joachim up with someone new during that separation, they started dating, married a couple years later. When you have friends who are aware of your situation and what is going on in your relationship? They might keep an eye out for a potential new mate – because they care about you and want you with the right person.

      • Masamf says:

        Thank you notasugar, that’s what I know too. And all this was way before Harry, the rumours that Cory was cheating started end of 2015/beginning 2016 and by April/May 2016, Cory himself knew it was over. So the Meghan cheated on poor Cory with Harry are just laughable.

    • Meggles says:

      No, that was confirmed as false and originating from the same Tumblr blog who claimed Meghan used to have an online CV (which no one has been able to produce screencaps of) stating that she used to be an escort, because sure actors starring on TV shows always put “Special skills: singing, horse riding, prostitution” on their CVs.

      Meghan’s blog entries and the Piers Morgan article both confirm she and her chef ex split weeks before she met Harry, and her blog entries from February indicate problems in that relationship months before that. There are lots of rumours that he cheated a lot, but I take them with a pinch of salt.

      It’s Sophie Cumberbatch 2.0.

      • Olenna says:

        I remember the viciousness of the Cumberbatch-Sophie threads. They became so sickening, I had to stop reading them. I hope it doesn’t come to that with H&M.

      • Bellagio DuPont says:

        @ Olenna:

        I’m new to following celebrity relationships, so I didn’t experience the Sophie/Cumberbatch craze. If it’s anything like H&M tumblr/DM madness, I’m glad I missed it. It’s scary how many outright loons are out there these days.

      • Sam says:

        @Bella The narratives and theories are very similar to Harry and Meghans. Like copy paste jobs with these lot,no imagination.They are hilarious

      • magnoliarose says:

        They are also planting Blinds too. The Tumblrettes remind me of Kathy Bates in Misery. Like they carry kidnap kits and sledgehammers in their trunks in case they happen to run into Hiddles, Cumber or Harry. Their planted Blinds are hilarious, and they race around the internet trying to smear Meghan or their imaginary boyfriend’s girlfriends.
        I am not a psychologist, but a few sessions on a cozy couch might be in order.

        Bella, I hadn’t heard of them either until I came here. I looked once and OMG! Crayzaytown.

      • Bella Dupont says:

        @ Sam & Magnolia

        Lol…….and have you noticed how these loons look at you and think YOU’RE the one who’s bunkers for not trying to dictate/legislate someone else’s relationship?

        It would be hilarious actually, if it weren’t so scary.

      • Jane says:

        The fact that she was spending Valentine’s Day on her own does not mean that there was trouble in the relationship. She was dating a chef, of course she would be spending Valentine’s Day without him.

        Personally I think they started dating in July 2016 and Meghan is trying to make it sound like they’ve dated longer because she seems to think that people won’t take them seriously as a couple if they’d “only” dated for 16 months when they got engaged. I mean she did not like it when the interviewer called their relationship a “whirlwind romance”.

      • Masamf says:

        Meggies, thank you. It seems to me that Harry and Meghan met sometime in May 2016 but at that time her and Cory were breaking up. Cory changed and updated his social media status back to “single” in May. Its been rumoured that when Harry first texted Meghan to go on a date, Meghan was in a middle of breaking of a relationship.

    • Sam says:

      And you know that’s a fact because? The only ones that know are Cory and the couple not some randoms on the internet
      that think they know what happened in a relationship that isnt their own. Everyone else have moved on

      • Maria says:

        Bottom line is no one knows what happened with her and her husband, and no one knows what happened between her and Cory. And no one really knows for sure if the relationship with Harry started in May or in July. The fudging of the dates does seem a bit odd. I remember exactly when I met my late hubby and where. And I remember exactly when and where I met my current one.

      • HoustonGrl says:

        I remember the day I met my boyfriend, the day we became a couple etc. It’s not a mystery when you love someone, especially if they’re the one. The odd part would be to tack on 6 months to the relationship and then be rebuffed by your partner during an interview about your relationship. Huh.

      • Masamf says:

        Yes, y’all remember these dates but you are not Meghan and she is not y’all. Likewise, I don’t remember any of the dates about when my boyfriend and I first dated, why? Because Im not Meghan and Meghan is not me!! We are all individuals created each in our own unique way; what you might remember might not necessarily be easy for me to remember. Hey, even identical twins are not identical in so many ways. Why do people think because they do certain things everybody else has to do the same? Weird!!

  20. Sage says:

    Reads like a PR plant but this is old news from last year…

  21. Who ARE These People? says:

    Still don’t know why my comment – put through 3 times! – didn’t go through. Testing it again.

    “He can hardly go on Tinder or a dating app like normal people…”
    I’m over 60 and this strikes me as hilarious.

  22. Nina says:

    Whatever! I’m sticking to my personal fan-fiction which goes along the lines of…

    Meghan Markle did some work with one of Michelle Obama’s charity initiatives. The First Lady was charmed by her good heart, sense of humor and personality; it immediately reminded her of someone she knew.

    However, when she saw Harry next some time later, the actress was completely out of her thoughts until a moment when she and the British prince were laughing. “Michelle, if only you were a single woman,” he said with a wink, the way he always teased her. But instead of replying with her usual comeback — ‘I will call you if Barack doesn’t work out’ — an idea suddenly came to mind:

    “Actually, I think I know someone who would be perfect for you. Her name is Meghan and I think you two should get together.”

    • Lobbit says:

      I like your headcanon a lot! Although, I also like the idea of Harry being set up by an old family friend, too. It suggests that Meghan and Harry are better suited for each other than people think.

    • magnoliarose says:

      LOL.
      You have peanut butter in your avatar.
      I love peanut butter cookies! Now I want to make some or do the easy thing and buy them from my favorite bakery. They put dark chocolate chunks in them!
      Yeah, I love your story but am hungry and distracted by peanut butter!!!!

    • upstatediva says:

      Nina, you are now and officially my favorite (at least at the fanfic game). This is my preferred scenario as well, and all the other explanations are just tabloids with nothing better to do!

  23. Shannon says:

    Seriously, who doesn’t mature in their 30s? I mean sure, something or someone can be a trigger or help, but I kind of thought it was just a natural process regardless of who you partner with or if you don’t partner up at all. They are an adorable couple!

  24. SV says:

    This came out awhile ago and most likely true. Everyone was looking for connections based on the notion that the girl must be the one chasing the prince when if you think about it all it’s obvious someone was trying to help Harry out by setting him up with someone who would actually appreciate the Royal charity platform if the relationship got serious. There is some gossip exagerration, but the basics are right. Meghan has visited London a number of times and has Soho and fashion connections, which she used for the Tig. She was hanging out with Rachel the week she met Harry, and Rachel was consistently commenting on Meghan’s insta in the rest of the summer after Meghan left London.

  25. Jessica says:

    Why are people still calling Meghan a golddigger when she has enough money to buy a $75K dress to wear one time? She has her own money and there’s nothing wrong with marrying someone of equal or slightly higher SES.

    • Rhys says:

      Maybe because you can only make enough for a $75K dress on the third-tier show for so long. When you are a Princess you are set for life. Golddiggers are not stupid.
      I don’t think Markle is a golddigger. She was aiming at something better than a dentist, sure, but she is not a dentist herself. Though this royal thing is just a stroke of luck.

      • Masamf says:

        Meghan was earning very good money on her show. And..what do you mean Suits is a third tier show, are you for real?

  26. Veronica says:

    Off topic, but I was looking up old pictures of Harry and Chelsy and saw a picture of Harry with a dead lion. Did he hunt lions????

    • Jane says:

      I think the lion is sedated, not dead. The caption under the photo said that Harry was “working with lions in Africa”, so maybe he was helping to tag it?

      ETA: Photo was from 2015 and Harry was helping to put collars on the lions, so that they could track their location and vitals. Conservation work then, from the bloodsport fan.

    • Masamf says:

      Harry does quota hunting IIRC, but i don’t think he participates in any large animal trophy hunting.

    • Sage says:

      I remember a photo of him posing with dead water buffalo but not a lion. He’s a hypocrite.

    • Veronica says:

      Oh, thank goodness!!! I would have been very upset with him. That is the kind of thing the Trumps do. I think Harry is lazy and a trophy hunter, but lions and elephants are way over the line for me. JMHO