Finding Freedom

A good friend of Meghan’s called her Grace Under Fire, because despite whatever pressure she was under she didn’t fall apart.

Meghan’s willingness to help others and her drive to excel meant she often was deemed "fake" by classmates at school who felt it was impossible for anyone to be that "perfect"

She spent so many years, whether on campus, on TV, or advocating for women to be empowered, speaking out. And she’s respected that. She does have a lot of respect for tradition, a lot of respect for the family and the institution that she has joined. But it’s just a different way of living. We’d missed hearing her speak.

Not having a platform of her own to talk directly to the public was one of the toughest changes for her, especially after building so much of her own brand on Instagram and her blog.

The entire event was classic Meghan: simple yet indulgent, fun in a quiet and intimate way – and all meticulously planned.

Harry is admittedly tough to impress, but he almost froze when he walked into the room and saw Meghan.

Meghan wasn’t just beautiful. She was also different from women he was used to meeting, and Harry was intimidated by new situations.

Meghan is someone who works a room very well. In social settings, all eyes are drawn to her. She laughs a little louder, glows a little brighter. She’s self-assured in a way that attracts attention.

Harry was unusually candid for someone with his title, but he was also every bit the gentleman. Wherever they went, and to this day, he gestures for Meghan to go first. The short walk from the living room would have been no different.

He liked what he saw but didn’t necessarily think of drinks as anything more than a chance to be introduced to a woman he found attractive.

The prince wasn’t having it. He wasn’t budging. If things were going to get tricky, there was nowhere else he’d rather be than at Meghan’s side.

Although Meghan was a trained actress, this was an audition like no other, and she wanted to impress her future royal relatives.