King Charles III’s and Meghan Markle. Shutterstock (2)
A royal nickname. King Charles IIIAccording to some, he chose a fitting nickname for his daughter in law Meghan MarkleEven more so given the tension between Sussexes, the rest of Royal Family.
“Charles reportedly nicknamed his future daughter-in-law ‘Tungsten’ because of her toughness and resilience,” royal expert Katie NichollIn her new book, she writes The New RoyalsAccording to Entertainment Tonight. Tungsten, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry, “has the highest melting point of all metals and is alloyed with other metals to strengthen them.”
When the Duchess of Sussex, 41, spoke at the Royal Foundation Forum in February 2018 — several months before she and Prince Harry, tied the knot in May 2018 — other members of the family took notice.
“It was, according to one aide, the moment William KateShe was very pregnant [with Prince Louis], realized they needed to up their game,” Nicholl claims in the book. “The Cambridges had already signaled their intention to be more than ‘ornamental royals’ and had, along with Harry, made a huge success of their mental health campaign Heads Together.”
The author writes that “Meghan was the breakout star of the foursome.” Nicholl pens, “She was polished, passionate, and funny, using all her TV-honed skills to present her case. That was a wake-up moment for William and Kate when they realized that Meghan was very impressive, very confident, and very capable, according to a source.”
Charles, 73 — who assumed the throne last month upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II — has allegedly referred to his daughter-in-law by the “Tungsten” nickname for several years.
Royal news editor Russell MeyersFirst mention of the complimentary moniker during a 2019 appearance at U.K. talk shows Lorraine.
The metal is “tough and unbending,” Meyers explained at the time, which pays tribute to the Archetypes podcast host’s inner strength.
“It’s a bit of a weird one but I think he really respects her,” the expert shared. “He thinks she has managed to deal with it [the media coverage] well.”
Though Meghan and Harry, 38, have been at odds with the rest of the royals since they stepped down from their senior duties in 2020, the September 8 passing of the queen brought the family members together — both physically and emotionally.
Charles, for his part, specifically mentioned the Archewell founders — who are the proud parents of 3-year-old son Archie and 16-month-old daughter Lilibet Diana — in his inaugural speech as king on September 9.
“I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan, as they continue to build their lives overseas,” the sovereign noted — a remark royal expert Gareth RussellOnly told Us Weekly was the king’s way of extending an “olive branch” to his younger son and daughter-in-law.
“I think the king has made it very clear that he wants to heal the rift,” Russell added.
