Meghan Markle's Bizarre Nickname From King Charles During Her Days As A Working Royal Revealed
By Favour Adegoke on January 26, 2025 at 1:30 PM EST
Meghan Markle has been described by several unflattering nicknames since she and her husband, Prince Harry, stepped away from their royal duties in 2020.
Past staff have allegedly branded her "Duchess Difficult," and it was recently revealed that former co-workers at Spotify called her "Eva," after a movie character with a diva attitude.
However, among all the nicknames Meghan Markle has received, the one her father-in-law, King Charles, reportedly gave her may be the most bizarre.
King Charles' Strange Nickname For His Daughter-In-Law
According to the Daily Mail, it was recently revealed that King Charles once branded the Duchess of Sussex "Tungsten" prior to his ascension to the throne.
The then Prince of Wales reportedly nicknamed Meghan after the metal because he saw her as a "tough" and "unbending" individual.
Although it may seem like a harsh nickname, Charles is said to have used it to compliment the former actress's personality during her and Harry's early days as working royals.
The nickname first surfaced in 2018, when a palace source told Charlotte Griffiths of the Mail On Sunday that Charles admired Meghan's "strength."
"Prince Charles admires Meghan for 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 softy. It's become a term of endearment," the source said.
Tungsten, known for its core strength and high melting point, is the strongest naturally occurring metal on Earth. Its significant properties reportedly made it clear that Charles used it to praise his daughter-in-law Meghan.
Prince Harry's Grandfather Had A Scathing Nickname For Meghan Markle
While Charles' nickname for Meghan may have been one of praise, his father, the late Prince Philip, reportedly had a scathing nickname for the Duchess of Sussex.
According to a book by Royal Biographer Ingrid Seward, Philip, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 99, used to call Meghan the "Duchess of Windsor."
The nickname refers to the title held by American socialite Wallis Simpson. She was the infamous U.S. divorcée who married Edward VIII in 1937 after he controversially abdicated the throne for her.
In Seward's book "My Mother and I," she claims that Philip always said Meghan and Simpson's resemblance was "uncanny."
"He wasn't simply referring to the fact that both were pencil-slim, dark-haired and glamorous American divorcées," she wrote, per the New York Post,
One significant similarity between Meghan and Simpson is that they were divorced women before marrying into royalty. Meghan was married to film producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 to 2014 and started dating Harry in 2016.
The Duchess Was Nicknamed 'Eve' By Her Former Spotify Co-Workers
More recently, it was revealed that former Spotify staff who worked with Meghan on her Archetypes podcast had a stinging nickname for the mother or two.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, royal correspondent Neil Sean revealed that the Duchess of Sussex was called "Eva," a nod to the 1955 film "Queen Bee" starring Joan Crawford.
He said, "Ex-staff members… told me they decided to christen her 'Eva,' and this was used as a warning signal to let people know that she was either arriving or on the warpath."
Sean added that it "wasn't an engaging pet nickname," explaining that it "came from the 1955 camp classic 'Queen Bee' starring the ultimate diva… herself – Joan Crawford… This is because, like the Joan character [Eva Phillips], she stung her victims to pieces. This is exactly how staff felt about working alongside [Meghan]."
However, Meghan was apparently unaware of the moniker during her time at Spotify.
Meghan Markle Was Labeled 'Duchess Difficult' By Staff In The U.S.
Before Vanity Fair's bombshell exposé on Harry and Meghan, which highlighted scathing allegations against the couple by former staff and Montecito residents, The Hollywood Reporter published an equally stinging article about the royal couple.
The publication reported that Meghan earned the nickname "Duchess Difficult" from her staff in the U.S.
Sources had said that the former actress is known for "belittling people" and ignoring advice.
An insider at the time also criticized Harry, describing the duke as "charming" but an "enabler" of his wife's behavior.
"She belittles people, she doesn't take advice," the source told the publication. "They're both poor decision-makers, they change their minds frequently. Harry is a very, very charming person — no airs at all — but he's very much an enabler. And she's just terrible."
These claims were mirrored by more allegations against the couple in Vanity Fair's February cover story, where staff described Meghan as "awful" to work with.
Alleged residents of Montecito also labeled the royal duo "local villains," claiming Meghan commercialized the town's understated charm.
The Bombshell Exposé Left The Duke And Duchess Feeling 'Distressed'
While Harry and Meghan have not directly addressed the scathing report, a source close to the couple told The Times that the pair found the allegations "distressing."
Close associates of Harry and Meghan also told The Daily Beast that the pair are disheartened by the accusations, particularly given their challenging situation: Harry's legal battles in the U.K. and Meghan's highly anticipated Netflix show being postponed.
The Sussexes allegedly feel the bombshell cover story "has succeeded in making a bad time worse."