Mail: Duchess Meghan has always been a person of deep faith, unlike Prince William

One of my strongest memories from the 2020 Commonwealth Day service is how peaceful the Duchess of Sussex looked and seemed that day. It was her last public event as a “working royal” following the terms of the Sussexit at the Sandringham Summit. Prince William and Kate were doing the most to visibly snub Harry and Meghan before and during the service at Westminster Abbey, but Meghan just sat in the Abbey with an utterly serene look on her face. She even vibed out to the music and seemed to really enjoy the service overall. Her final event as a “working royal” was religious, and the future supreme governor of the Church of England was a C-U-Next-Tuesday to her in church. I bring that up because people are talking about Meghan’s faith right now, in the wake of Prince William’s staff briefing the Times that he has a newfound “quiet faith.” But his quiet faith was contingent on something ridiculous: it’s because the new Archbishop of Canterbury didn’t give religious counseling to Meghan and Harry!! Well, the Mail says that Meghan is literally “holier than thou” – “thou” being a bald agnostic demon.

Prince William has sparked controversy with a somewhat lukewarm endorsement of the Church of England, which he will one day govern, after it was revealed he has a ‘quiet faith’. However, if the Future King is in need of a spiritual boost, he need look no further for inspiration than his wife and sister-in-law Meghan Markle who have both leaned into their religious beliefs to manage some of life’s greatest obstacles.

The Princess of Wales reportedly used her faith as a tool while she navigated her cancer diagnosis, while King Charles also used his relationship with the church to manage his respective health battle.

Meanwhile, prior to meeting Prince Harry and converting into the Church of England, Meghan Markle, who was raised Protestant, would gather her Suits co-stars for a prayer circle before filming. According to Meghan’s old school friend Ninaki Priddy, it was God who got the Duchess of Sussex through her ‘darkest moments’.

Raised as a protestant who attended a Catholic school, Meghan’s faith is said to be a key part of her life, with the Duchess even routinely gathering her Suits castmates for a ‘prayer circle’ before they began filming.

‘She used to gather the cast and crew of Suits for a prayer circle before starting work,’ they claimed. ‘Her invocations on set were never about a specific theology. Instead, she wanted to bring everyone together during moments of transition or difficulty.’

While studying at Northwestern, one of Meghan’s best friends came from a Christian family and the pair would reportedly ‘often pray together while at school’.

Close friend Ninaki told Mr Scobie and Ms Durand: ‘Part of what helped Meghan get through this difficult time was her faith. Her relationship with God and with her church is extremely important to her. That’s something most people do not know about her. It plays a central role in her life, as an individual, as a woman.’

In 2018, Meghan underwent a ‘beautiful’ baptism into the Church of England ahead of her royal wedding. A further source claimed: ‘It’s prayer and conversations with God that have gotten her through the darkest moments. That’s something that plays a significant role in her life and her relationship with Harry. The two have been on a journey of faith together.’

[From The Daily Mail]

I’m surprised the Mail isn’t mentioning Meghan’s premarital religious counseling with Justin Welby, the previous Archbishop of Canterbury. Meghan’s apparent closeness with Welby was cited, by the Times and by sources close to Prince William, as the big reason why William has been hesitant to go to church or embrace Christianity or speak to Welby. But yes, it does sound like Meghan has always been a person of deep faith, not out of performative convenience or optics-driven image maintenance. You can’t say the same about William or Kate.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Backgrid.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

50 Responses to “Mail: Duchess Meghan has always been a person of deep faith, unlike Prince William”

  1. Jan says:

    Nanaki can pound sand.

  2. Hypocrisy says:

    Are they baiting Peggy with this article to get more rage filled briefings? It is actually being pretty decent to Meghan compared to the other articles they put out.

    • Maybe they are trying to see if it gets the bald demon to go to church very publicly this Sunday lol 😂.

      • Jais says:

        I mean that might work. They’re trying to get him to prove he goes to church just as much as the Sussexes. That’s about the only thing that gets him moving, his one-sided competition with them.

      • Lorelei says:

        @Susan and @Jais, Bill is so stupid that they might know that basic reverse psychology will easily work on him.

    • Me at home says:

      The article mentions Meghan’s prayer circles three times, just so nobody misses it. (Not a fan of prayer circles work, but whatever.) Yeah, they’re poking at Bulliam.

      Guessing Bulliam won’t bother trying to one-up the Sussexes on the religion front, just like he had nothing to do with the “quiet faith” bs that Sunny Bullets put out without any actual input from him. If anything, a big point of that quiet faith article seemed to be that Bulliam knows Britain is increasingly multicultural and agnostic, so nobody cares that he doesn’t care, and he doesn’t care that nobody cares that he doesn’t care.

      • Magdalena says:

        I honestly don’t think Meghan held “prayer circles” at work. None of her Suits co-workers have ever so much as hinted at anything like that, nor have any of the crew. Would Meghan have gathered everyone together to start each shoot with positive AFFIRMATIONS? Yes, I totally believe that she would do this. The giveaway is in the sentence: “Her invocations on set were never about a specific theology”. That’s because it *was NOT a prayer circle*. Whoever wrote this article seems to be confusing affirmation with praying. Idiot. But it’s the Mail, so what do we expect?

        Interesting that they’re bringing up that ex-friend who sold so many photos of her to the Mail and slandered her repeatedly before and after the wedding, inadvertently betraying her lust after Meghan’s ex-husband.

      • Mightymolly says:

        100% hey I got out of this too. An affirmation huddle. Sense is that Meghan is more quietly spiritual.

      • Becks1 says:

        @Magdalena, that was more my impression as well – this was less a “prayer circle” and more a moment of positivity and affirmation before they started shooting.

        And yes my impression is that Meghan is more spiritual than religious, but she may find comfort in going to church. However she identifies religiously I appreciate that she’s private about it. It’s for her, not scoring PR points etc (i.e. an article in the Times about how religious she actually is, ha.)

      • Hypocrisy says:

        I’m pretty sure if Meghan did have those prayer meetings we would have heard about long before now, we know she had sets she worked on donate unused food to shelters while working on suits and just about everything else but this prayer thing has never even been hinted at by people ever calling her religious.

  3. Who Were These People? says:

    William just seems to be an entitled jerk and it has nothing to do with his religious engagement or lack thereof. We have to be very careful not to endorse religious belief as making people good, or better somehow than people without religious belief. I would respect William’s agnosticism if he were honest about it, but he’s squirrely and the monarchy’s many problems include in Britain its entanglement with organized religion.

    Meanwhile, I would be terribly uncomfortable if a coworker organized workplace prayer circles, even supposedly “non-denominational.” But I don’t live in the USA and find organized religion way too pervasive there.

    • Eliza says:

      Certainly wouldn’t fly at the company I work for.

    • Miranda says:

      Actually, I think that most Americans I know, with the possible exception of those who grew up in the South/Bible Belt, would be uncomfortable with workplace prayer circles. While everything we know about Meghan in particular would suggest that she’s likely sincere in her faith and had good intentions, I’d say that in general, it runs the risk of coming across as performative.

      • ABritGuest says:

        I kind of think ninaki is making that up about the suits prayer circle. As suits actors incl Meghan were very active on sm & even before Harry and after the relationship was announced they and the producers, directors have talked a lot about Meghan & the things she did together with the cast & crew on set. but somehow this has never come up? Doubtful

        But yes I suspect the fail is having a dig to get William to attend church more & prove his devoutness.

      • Lorelei says:

        Yeah, the whole “prayer circle” story sounded hinky to me. It doesn’t seem like something Meghan would randomly initiate at her workplace. And this is the first we’re hearing of it? Please.

        And, as another American, I’d also be weirded out if someone in my office did this.

      • Lady Esther says:

        Yes, this is a strange narrative for many reasons. It’s the first we’re hearing about Meghan doing prayer circles and such (although if it’s on the order of Madonna “praying” with her dancers before a concert, as we saw in Truth or Dare, fine I guess?). We’ve never heard from her personally or from Harry in Spare, for example, being such a strongly open person of faith that apparently it’s been a big part of her personal and professional life to date? Nothing wrong with it, it just doesn’t match with anything we’ve known about her to this point, which is odd…

        Also, point me to the part in Christian faith where religious belief is (checks notes) part of a one-sided competition between brothers, where again Meghan is collateral damage? I must have missed that Bible passage. This sounds more to me like William trying to tick boxes with the British establishment about his religious bona fides (bonus points: I’M MORE RELIGIOUS THAN HARRY OR MEGHAN!) than anything accurate about Meghan in reality.

        Remember all of the stories about how Meghan was vegan, and how she was evilly keeping Harry from the hunt? Because something something she disapproved, and she rained on his British hunting heritage parade with her wicked American ways or something…this sounds like that narrative. BECAUSE AMERICANS ARE CRAZY RELIGIOUS YO.

      • Jais says:

        I grew up in the south and moved away for a reason! I’m back though and yeah. Deep sigh. I was made to do prayer circles in high school and even more recently on a film set in GA. Deep sigh again. I have no issue with motivational circles that are nondenominational. None at all. But ones that reference a specific religion incite a deep and visceral reaction from me. I’ve been in work rooms where you’re told that if you don’t want to pray you can leave the room. Which you then have to do in front of everybody. Obviously, if it must be done, it could be done in a hey we’re going to do a prayer circle over here for those who want to meet up as opposed to asking people to leave the freaking work room in front of everyone. There’s usually about 3 of us who do. I prefer religion and work kept separate. But as someone who grew up in GA, it is very commonplace. Again, I don’t have an issue with positive spirit circle type stuff at work that doesn’t reference any specific religion. I’m happy to participate in those! And I don’t want to prevent those who want to pray to pray but in a work type thing like that, a specific religious circle is a hard no. To me it’s not inclusive to people in the room who also might be of different faiths or no faith as is their choice. Just saying I don’t see Meghan doing a specific religious one at work.

    • ecsmom says:

      I question whether it was a “prayer circle” or a motivational circle. If you watched the documentary of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, the dancers, musicians and Taylor all got in a circle before the performance and took turns saying their thoughts, gratitudes, challenges or whatever they wanted to speak to as way of connecting before a long hard concert. This ended with a chant “F–k this up, F–ck this up”. Hardly a prayer circle yet a way to connect and feel like a team.

      I have to wonder if Meghan did have everyone in a circle, if it wasn’t more about how grateful she was to be working with everyone and lucky they all were to be together. I am an atheist and I too would resist a “prayer circle” but would really love a pep talk before shooting long hard and challenging hours of a TV show.

      I think Meghan is too respectful of everyone’s belief systems to interject prayer and this was more an act of kindness and connection.

      • Magdalena says:

        Exactly this. I am certain that if she did any gathering in a circle, it was about motivation (I called it affirmation, but your way is better 🙂 ). No way would Meghan, a super-conscious person, be having “prayer circles” at WORK.

        One almost feels that the whole point of the article was to paint M as the weirdo who foists unwanted religiosity onto work colleagues.

    • Me at home says:

      I’m not sure what “prayer circles” means in this context. I’d be really uncomfortable if, before we all started working, someone called out for us to join them and they stood in an obvious circle for everyone to see.

      I really doubt that’s what happened, mostly because Meghan is not that kind of person.

      I’d guess this was more like little prayer or bible study groups that went off in a room somewhere. That’s what’s happened in most of my workplaces, and I couldn’t even tell you who participated (because I always suspect these types of groups will be a kind of faith that’s too conservative for me, but I could be wrong).

      • Magdalena says:

        No, they’re wrong. Meghan is into positive affirmations and always seeks to motivate people around her and spread positivity. Her castmates and crew attested to how supportive and positive she was. THIS is what the Daily Fail has decided to describe as “prayer circles”, knowing what a touchstone that is for so many people.

        And by the looks of it, many people appear to be swallowing that kernel that they have now planted.

    • Who WERE These People? says:

      Oh good everyone – glad to hear that a) you wouldn’t like this either and b) you don’t trust that the story of Meghan’s ‘prayer circles’ is true. I know she can be a little bit precious sometimes, but really this would be over a line.

    • Cynner says:

      Indeed—at this time religiosity seems to equate with better morals and ethics, making one a “better” person. Based on what right wing-nut Christian Nationalists (and yes, fundamentalists in all religions) are espousing I would beg to differ. Being a religious person of any faith is absolutely NOT a guarantee of any degree of goodness. In fact, at this time I would be inclined to think the opposite.
      Atheists are not pushing their agendas down the throats of fellow citizens. They are NOT acting to remove established rights, nor are they pushing for war.
      It’s time we rethought what religion really does to societies and the true harm it inflicts.
      So William not being religious is no problem for me. William being a narcissistic lazy ass is the problem. But it’s not my problem as I’m an American and we have so many serious problems of our own, in which religion plays an outsized role.
      Fred Phelps in Wichita, KS (God hates the gays) was my last straw.

    • Sketchy says:

      I am quietly religious and certainly wouldn’t organize a prayer circle at work. That part of the story makes no sense to me. I suppose if several people wanted to have a prayer circle before work I wouldn’t oppose it, but I wouldn’t join it.

  4. Jais says:

    Okaaay? So Meghan is more devout than William. What an odd article. Well, we know she doesn’t pull faces in a church. She always looks serene and calm.

    • Becks1 says:

      It’s a very odd article because at this point, who is questioning Meghan’s faith (because who really cares? I say that as a big Meghan fan obviously, I don’t care if she’s spiritual or religious or atheist.) And also – this article seems…..positive….about Meghan. In the DM. It certainly is painting her as better than William in this regard. Which is very odd.

      • Jais says:

        From what I can tell, all these articles about William and religion have been very odd. Pulling Meghan is odd. But the whole vibe has been odd and it’s seems more to do with William than anything else.

  5. Moniquep says:

    I thought it was communing with “natcha” and wondering around in the sun that got kitty through her “cancer”

    Meghan has stated her faith being stronger than her fear is how she managed to survive the hell that she has been through to arrive at the place of peace she now enjoys.
    As a Christian myself, I’m even amazed by how she managed to survive the continuous onslaught. But I do know that God is good, all the time.

    • Me at home says:

      Right? Where’s the evidence of Keen’s faith? If she had even once, just once, taken their kids to Sunday school, the paps would have told us all about it for days.

      That celebrity-fest Keen puts on at Christmas doesn’t count, because it’s basically a chance for the Easter-and-Christmas crowd, of which she’s very much a part, to sing those nostalgic carols without even the awkwardness of having to greet their local vicar twice a year.

      In fact, the problems for the CoE are just going to compound down the line, because there’s zero evidence WanK are doing anything to prepare George for that role.

      • Jais says:

        There’s actually been a few random asides about how Kate has been going to church more since her gone missing controversy. Add in her saying that she’s drinking less and walks in nature. And well who knows. It all well may be true. But it feels like a pointed contrast to our perception of William who likely drinks and barely goes to church. The juxtaposition is somewhat interesting.

  6. Royal Downfall Watcher says:

    My father has a theory that Harry will be King (he is stoked about this). He has this conspiracy theory that the UK *knows* WanK suck and eventually the throne will be passed to Harry and Meghan. I do not believe this nor would I wish this on two happy people who seem to be living their lives stress free in CA without the BS of UK politics…

    But it is a hilarious idea. lol. Meghan could lead the CoE and William would be there, on the side of the road, rage briefing for all eternity.

  7. Mosshearted says:

    Wow, haven’t heard from Meghan’s backstabbing ex-friend in a while. I actually didn’t know that Meghan was religious. I think it’s pretty common for performers to say a prayer before taking the stage, so it’s not surprising to hear of actors doing the same before filming.

  8. YankeeDoodles says:

    This is actually a lot more dangerous for William, IMHO, than the Epstein files, in which he is a bit player or a bit of collateral damage. I mean. You can make the case that he was too stupid to know any better, but at a certain point, if 1,000 people are guilty, no one is guilty. It won’t cost him the job he’s been saddled with since birth. It’s funny, the whole issue of free will is uniquely salient with the royals because they cannot choose their way in life, professionally, or in many other ways. Their path is mapped out. So the strength of their faith is observed in how they brace themselves to tread this path. William played this kind of coy game with the public, about whether or not he would keep his end of the bargain. But it’s not cute anymore. The UK is suffering from a real crisis of faith, not religious faith, but a real crisis of faith in itself, and Brexit has been both a cause and an effect. Call it an identity crisis. But it’s a culture in which keeping up appearances and maintaining a good look have, for too long, been allowed to substitute for actually getting things done. And you can only go on that way until reality catches up. All the potholes, all the wait lists on the NHS, all the deaths in care homes during Covid, all the students saddled with unpayable loans, all the crumbling houses, the sheer absence of houses….. it makes you wonder, was the public sector merely a bad long-running community theatre production? That’s why the Harry vs William narrative gets so much traction: it forces people to ask, what is real, and what is fake. And behold. What is real is uncomfortable. Awkward. Acutely painful. And what is fake is comforting.

    • Lorelei says:

      @Yankee, this part of your comment, “It won’t cost him the job he’s been saddled with since birth. It’s funny, the whole issue of free will is uniquely salient with the royals because they cannot choose their way in life, professionally, or in many other ways. Their path is mapped out.” is what always makes me feel a little bit sorry for William, no matter how appalling a person he is. (Only a little bit!) It must be so difficult to come to terms with the fact that you’ll have absolutely no say whatsoever in most of your life choices.

      • Gail says:

        Yes, but Free Will also gives him the responsibility as to how he manages his burdens. How he faces them. He has free will to be a whiney brat, or to step up and take on the role with grace and dignity. Those are his choices, based on his free will. EVERYONE is a result of their birth identities, nature/nurture and their chosen paths. I choose softness and care rather than the violence I was raised with. Wills cannot choose the JOB he has, but he absolutely chooses how he performs that job. And that’s all he cannot choose, is his job. He has free will over everything else. How he chooses to exercise it is, well….a choice!

    • Frida’s Xolo says:

      @Yankeedoodles your comment is really insightful, particularly the connection between William’s “crisis of faith” and the erosion of multiple UK institutions, from the health of the Anglican Church to the cultural stiff upper lip to Brexit. Thanks!

  9. QuiteContrary says:

    I mean, who isn’t more religious than William?

    That said, Meghan does seem very centered and steady, and faith can certainly help in that regard. But this article is weirdly positive about Meghan. What’s up, I wonder?

  10. Lucylee says:

    Wasn’t Meghan’s a camp counselor for her church’s summer camp in her teens?

    • Untamed Shrew says:

      I’ve been in a lot of plays, and there was always a *power* circle right before the show to get everyone synced up and ready to go on.

      I’ve never seen this former “friend” of Meghan’s do anything but trash talk her. Not that her having faith is bad, but it’s being used here to goad Pegs into being even more incandescent at her. As twofer, it also sets her up so explaining the circle would get framed as being anti-Christian while KKKate’s a true (white) believer who brings Pegs closer to “his church” every day.

  11. tamsin says:

    What a weird article! Why has the DM dug up this Judas again? Another thirty pieces of silver? Strange that none of Meghan’s fellow actors have ever mentioned this. I don’t find the idea of Meghan doing prayer circles at all credible, but I would believe that it is Meghan who is a woman of a strong quiet faith, and someone who very much lives by the Golden Rule.

  12. Elly says:

    I remember at the time when this church service occurred and I saw these photos and found them extremely upsetting. The looks that William and Kate were giving Harry and Meghan were so hostile. What did H&M do to deserve that treatment? At this point, Harry hadn’t written Spare and the Oprah interview hadn’t occurred so what was the excuse for those glaring daggers? Jealousy? William may have faith but not believe in organized religion and that’s fine. A lot of people feel their religious faith is a personal thing but a church should always be treated as a place of peace and sanctuary. Meghan was being attacked by the disgusting media every day, living in a foreign country, she had no friends or extended family for support and she was pregnant. William is supposed to be the future head of the church but the way he treated his brother and SIL that day was disrespectful to them and to the church and definitely not kind or charitable. He and Kate were acting like spoiled brats. The opposite of how the future head of a church should behave. William continues this behavior today towards his brother and SIL today. Vengeful and unforgiving.

  13. Amy Bee says:

    Are they really using Nnaki as a source for this?

  14. Boo says:

    C’mon now, it’s the Fail!
    Meaningless made up ‘news’

  15. jferber says:

    I believe William is not religious because he is his own god and believes he is superior to the God everyone else worships. Yes, he is his own deity.

Commenting Guidelines

Read the article before commenting.

We aim to be a friendly, welcoming site where people can discuss entertainment stories and current events in a lighthearted, safe environment without fear of harassment, excessive negativity, or bullying. Different opinions, backgrounds, ages, and nationalities are welcome here - hatred and bigotry are not. If you make racist or bigoted remarks, comment under multiple names, or wish death on anyone you will be banned. There are no second chances if you violate one of these basic rules.

By commenting you agree to our comment policy and our privacy policy

Do not engage with trolls, contrarians or rude people. Comment "troll" and we will see it.

Please e-mail the moderators at cbcomments at gmail.com to delete a comment if it's offensive or spam. If your comment disappears, it may have been eaten by the spam filter. Please email us to get it retrieved.

You can sign up to get an image next to your name at Gravatar.com Thank you!

Leave a comment after you have read the article

Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment