Meghan Markle becomes a part of the royal family after marrying Prince Harry in May 2018, and she earned the title Duchess of Sussex. Following her marriage, she became close to her in-laws, particularly to Queen Elizabeth II. However, there were reports that the Queen's affection for the former actress might be fake.
Queen Elizabeth and Markle reportedly formed a "close bond" after going on a solo trip together in June 2018. The former Suits actress accompanied her grandmother-in-law and took a train to Chester for a day of engagements. Photos from their trip together were also shared, showing the Duchess of Sussex laughing and chatting with Her Majesty a couple of times.
According to a 2018 documentary titled Harry and Meghan: The First 100 Days, the two became "best friends" after their first solo trip together. The former aide of Queen Elizabeth, Dickie Arbiter, said Markle and Her Majesty have a "tremendous rapport." He added the Queen looked very happy and delighted and that time, and she was smiling and laughing a lot.
In another report, the Duchess of Sussex reportedly called Queen Elizabeth "mama" in private. The report noted this is also the nickname Princess Diana used to call Her Majesty while she was still married to Prince Charles.
However, the Queen's affection towards the former actress might also be fake, and it's only for a "show." The mentioned documentary speculated Her Majesty's affection for the Duchess of Sussex might only be a PR exercise by the palace.
As per Katie Nicholl, a royal author, the palace likely learned its lesson from how they used to treat Princess Diana, so they are reportedly changing their approach with Markle. Nicholl claims the Royal Family come unstuck in the past since they've isolated Prince William and Prince Harry's mother.
They reportedly didn't include her and made her feel unwelcome, that is why they are now making an effort towards the Duchess of Sussex. She added that the Queen believes that going out with Markle in public would send out a great message.
Royal biographer Duncan Larcombe echoed the sentiments, noting Queen Elizabeth II has already changed, especially after what happened to Princess Diana. He said Her Majesty has learned from the lessons of the past and they know how badly it had affected Princess Diana during her early years of marriage with Prince Charles. They reportedly made her feel she couldn't cope with the "alien world" that she joined.
