King Charles’s Secret Nickname for Meghan Is Actually Pretty Sweet

Believe it or not, there was a time when King Charles and Meghan Markle got along really well – and apparently he even had an affectionate one-word nickname for her that says a lot about how he saw her.

Back when Harry first started dating Meghan, Charles (still Prince of Wales at the time) found out about the relationship in the most chaotic way possible – literally 20 minutes before the news broke to the world.

According to the book Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, Charles and his team at Clarence House were completely blindsided. They’d spent months planning a big Middle East tour and were terrified that Harry’s surprise girlfriend announcement would bury all their carefully laid press coverage.

The authors wrote that the Clarence House team felt “crushed” because a Kensington Palace statement confirming Harry’s new relationship (and calling out the media at the same time) would basically wipe Charles’s tour off the front pages. Classic royal timing drama.

That said, once the dust settled, Charles warmed to Meghan quickly. By the time Harry and Meghan got married, he was the one who proudly walked her down the aisle after her own father couldn’t be there.

And here’s the part everyone loves: according to royal reporter Charlotte Griffiths writing in the Mail on Sunday back in 2018, Charles started calling Meghan “Tungsten.” Yes, like the metal.

Why? Because tungsten is famously tough – it has the highest melting point of any element, basically unbreakable. Griffiths explained that Charles admired Meghan’s strength and resilience, especially the way she gave Harry the backbone he sometimes needed. She wrote:

“Prince Charles admires her strength and the backbone she gives Harry, who needs a tungsten-type figure in his life as he can be a bit of a softie. It’s become a term of endearment.”

It’s oddly touching when you think about it – the King quietly nicknaming his American daughter-in-law after one of the strongest materials on earth because he thought she was exactly what his son needed.

Of course, we all know things have changed a lot since then, but it’s nice to remember there was genuine affection there once upon a time.

What do you think – is “Tungsten” the ultimate royal compliment or what? Let me know in the comments! 😄