Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stepped into the senior ranks of the Royal Family after she married Prince Harry in May 2018. But the Duchess has since revealed she was unprepared for what an induction into a highly-scrutinised staple of British society would mean for her.
Professor Cele Otnes, a professor of marketing specialising in how the Royal Family brands itself, told Express.co.uk that this gap in understanding the importance of the institution in Britain marked the difference between Meghan and Kate’s success within the Firm.
The author of ‘Royal Fever’ said: “The UK is an extremely significant society.
And I don’t think Meghan cared about that, not being British.
“Think about the difference between Kate being British, and how she must understand that heritage.
Meghan herself has described her shock at her experiences of conforming to Royal Family standards and procedures.
Speaking to Oprah Winfrey in the now-infamous sit-down interview in March 2021, she described how her wedding day, which kicked off her official royal duties, was a day “for the world”, not for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
She said: “It was like having an out-of-body experience I was very present for. I think we were both really aware, even in advance of that, this wasn’t our day, this was the day that was planned for the world.
” After the ceremony in Windsor, she recalled how she felt out of step with the formality and behaviour expected from her, that seemed so removed from what was familiar to her.
Meghan commented: “There was no guidance. Unlike what you see in the movies, there’s no class on how to speak, how to cross your legs, how to be royal. That was not offered to me.
