Everything Meghan Markle Has Had to Give Up to Become a Royal

In less than a week, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will walk down the aisle with who-knows-how-many millions of people around the world tuning in. (Deadline reported that 23 million Americans and more than 27 million Brits watched Kate and William tie the knot in 2011.) And although there was certainly a worldwide obsession with Kate Middleton, there's a different vibe surrounding Markle.

Because she's an American, Markle automatically feels like one of us. She's older than Harry (who she's publicly noted is also a feminist); she's from a mixed-race background; and she's (gasp!) divorced. She worked her way to a successful acting career and has an entrepreneurial spirit that led her to launch her own lifestyle site, The Tig. This is a girl who was fighting for gender equality at age 11 and has spoken on the issue at the U.N. She is basically ticking off modern-princess boxes faster than we can come up with them.

But then there's that pesky rub: She's had to give a lot of this up in order to marry Harry.

In her first sit-down interview with her fiancé, Markle explained that she didn't think she was sacrificing anything."I don’t see it as giving anything up. I just see it as a change. It’s a new chapter," she explained. "And keep in mind I’ve been working on my show [Suits] for seven years. We were very fortunate to have that sort of longevity on a series. For me, once we hit the 100-episode marker, I thought, I have ticked this box, and I feel really proud of the work we’ve done there, and now it’s time to work as a team with [Harry]."

It's true, the couple will have a huge global platform to do good work and draw attention to causes that they care deeply about. But let's break down what Markle has had to say goodbye to in order to enter this new reality.

Her Acting Career

After graduating from Northwestern University, Markle paid her dues in Hollywood working her way up from guest spots and game shows to becoming a regular on a hit cable show, Suits, for seven seasons. That's a career path that many trying to make it in the entertainment industry would be psyched to have. While nothing is guaranteed, it's not crazy to assume that even if Markle wanted to leave this particular show, there would be other acting opportunities in her future. That's a dealbreaker in royal-land, though. (See also: Kelly, Grace.)

And so Markle departed the show in grand fashion: with a gorgeous wedding and a happily-ever-after that we hope holds true IRL, too.

Her Lifestyle Site

R.I.P, The Tig, Markle's site that was a "hub for the discerning palate—those with a hunger for food, travel, fashion & beauty." She shut it down in April 2017 writing:

"After close to three beautiful years on this adventure with you, it's time to say goodbye to The Tig. What began as a passion project (my little engine that could) evolved into an amazing community of inspiration, support, fun and frivolity. You've made my days brighter and filled this experience with so much joy. Keep finding those Tig moments of discovery, keep laughing and taking risks, and keep being 'the change you wish to see in the world.'
Above all, don't ever forget your worth - as I've told you time and time again: you, my sweet friend, you are enough. Thank you for everything."

It's no small feat to launch a side hustle while working full-time, as Markle was. She had become quite the influencer, appearing on shows like Today and speaking at conferences like Create + Cultivate. Hopefully she finds similar fulfillment in her philanthropic work and community outreach as a royal to fill this void.

Her Social Media Presence

Back in January, Markle deleted her Twitter and Instagram accounts. Now that her personal site's are gone, we get our Markle updates via the @KensingtonRoyal accounts, which also handle social for Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate Middleton.

Perhaps giving up social media was totally Markle's choice. I hope it was. When Middleton and Prince William were dating, this wasn't so much of an issue because, well, the aughts—but I would loved to have seen Kate's posts from back in those days.

Her Privacy

As Markle noted in her post-engagement interview, she might have worked in the entertainment industry, but she'd never been a part of "tabloid culture" before her relationship with Prince Harry went public. Now, she's one of the most famous women in the world who has her every move—and hairstyle—picked over by the press and the public.

This attention has, at times, been extremely negative. In fact, Kensington Palace issued a rare public statement on behalf of Prince Harry about Markle after she was bombarded with racism. "His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment," the statement read. "Some of this has been very public—the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments...It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm. He knows commenters will say this is 'the price she has to pay' and that this is 'all part of the game.' He [Prince Harry] strongly disagrees. This is not a game—it is her life and his."

On the flipside, Markle can have a tremendous impact as a role model for little girls (and boys) all over the globe—and that's pretty awesome. If only the trolls didn't come with it.

Markle may indeed be the very model of a modern princess—or duchess, which will likely be her official title after May 19—and I hope her marriage and the work that comes along with it brings her happiness. Lord knows, I'll be watching and obsessing over it all. (Sorry, Meghan!) I just wish she hadn't had to sacrifice so much in the process.

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