Meghan Markle’s Waterloo Moment: The Story Behind Her Disastrous Entry and Exit from the Royal Family

Before Meghan Markle left the British monarchy for a life of financial independence, she was given the opportunity to guest-edit the September 2019 issue of British Vogue.

This decision would ultimately play a significant role in what is now known as Megxit.

According to Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair, this moment was Meghan's personal Waterloo moment.

In her new book, The Palace Papers, Inside the House of Windsor, Brown sheds light on Meghan's disastrous entry into the royal family, her bombastic exit, and her current glory days with husband Prince Harry in California.

Brown explains that the summer of 2019 marked a drastic change in the couple's relationship with the media.

Their son was born in May, and they kept everything top secret in an attempt to maintain their privacy.

Brown writes, “At the core of the difficulties was determining whether the Sussexes were celebrity royals or royal celebrities, two very different states of being.”

The summer of 2019 confirmed to the media that the Sussexes had made the decisive and deadly pivot to the meretricious side of the equation.

After snubbing the media and effectively calling it enemy number one, Meghan's editorial lapse got the media very curious.

She recalls, “It was the Vogue project that was Meghan's Waterloo.”

Brown notes that other members of the royal family had guest-edited publications with far less scrutiny, including Prince Charles for Country Life magazine, Harry for an episode of Radio 4's Today show in 2017, and Kate's attempt with Huffington Post UK.

All of those instances were well received, but Meghan's was not.

The Duchess of Excess wanted her triad publishing to be an authentic representation of her passions and personal beliefs.

When she declined to put her face on the cover, it was interpreted as a dig at Kate, who had been on the magazine's cover in 2016.

Meghan's next misstep was making the issue about empowered female role models, including Greta Thunberg and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, but not the Queen.

Thus, the glossy package was seen as snotty piffle by the tabloids, a pious fluff package by upscale columnists, and a mystifying bow by traditional Vogue readers who would have preferred solutions for more immediate problems like where to find the best camel hair coat with a kimono tie.

Meghan and Harry were noticeably absent from the Met Gala this year, and it may be because of this reason.

The Met Gala is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year, with extravagant outfits and unique themes.

Princess Diana herself attended the Met Gala in 1996, but fans couldn't help but speculate about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's absence from the event this year, despite moving to America almost two years ago.

According to Elle, it is unclear whether they were invited to the event or not.

In 2020, Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, allegedly extended an invite to Meghan, but those rumors turned out to be untrue.

In 2018, Queen Elizabeth II made a rare appearance at London Fashion Week, the first time the monarch had attended such an event.

The Queen sat next to American Vogue editor Anna Wintour in the front row of Richard Quinn's fashion show.

Overall, Meghan Markle's time as a member of the royal family was tumultuous, with her personal Waterloo moment being the guest-editing of British Vogue.

Her attempt to create an authentic representation of her passions and personal beliefs ultimately fell flat, and her exit from the royal family was equally bombastic.

Meghan and Harry continue to make headlines, but their self-centered behavior has not gone over well with the media or traditional royal family supporters.