Meghan Markle’s relationship with her father-in-law, King Charles III, has become the focus of a new viral video after footage from the royal’s 2018 wedding to Prince Harry resurfaced on TikTok.
Meghan’s relationships with members of the royal family were pulled into focus in 2020 after the duchess stepped down as a working member of the monarchy alongside Harry and moved to the U.S.
Meghan joined the royal family upon her marriage to Harry at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, Berkshire, in England, on May 19, 2018. The couple met in 2016 and became engaged a year later. In 2024, they will celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary, and together they have two children: Prince Archie, 4; and Princess Lilibet, 2.
Little is known about Meghan’s relationship with her father-in-law, the king. In her 2022 Netflix docuseries, she described Charles as “charming,” but she did not attend his May 2023 coronation in London with husband Harry; it happened to take place on her son’s fourth birthday.
Uploaded to TikTok by user @europeanroyals_ on March 28, one of Meghan’s most-touching exchanges with Charles has gone viral, spotlighting the moment the then-Prince of Wales walked her down the aisle at her wedding.
The decision for Charles to walk Meghan down the aisle was an unusual one and received widespread coverage at the time. It followed a highly publicized set of events, which saw Meghan’s own father, Thomas Markle, miss the high-profile event following a paparazzi collaboration and medical emergency.
The father of the bride traditionally walks her down the aisle at her wedding. In Markle’s absence, there was speculation that Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland, would step in to fulfill the role. However, on the day, Charles met his future daughter-in-law halfway through her walk at the chapel and guided her to Harry.
The viral clip has received in excess of 11,200 likes and over 140 comments, many of which have praised the royals and their interaction.
“The love the King shows Meghan is so special,” wrote one TikTok user.
“This was such a touching moment with the king. You can tell he liked Meghan. I’m sad she didn’t go to the coronation,” posted another, with a further comment reading: “Gorgeous wedding. The best royal wedding of all time.”
It was in the 2022 Harry & Meghan docuseries that Meghan revealed she personally asked Charles to walk her down the aisle at her wedding.
“Harry’s dad is very charming,” she told viewers, before going on to note her own father’s absence.
“I said to him, like, ‘I’ve lost my dad in this.’ So, him as my father-in-law was really important to me,” Meghan said.
“So, I asked him to walk me down the aisle, and he said yes,” she added. “The whole thing was surreal.”
Charles has made few public comments about Harry and Meghan since their split from the monarchy. However, in his accession speech, given in the days after he became king, he made a touching reference to the couple.
“I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas,” Charles said.
