Prince Philip’s brutal nickname for Meghan Markle that he ‘never said to her face’ revealed

The late Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, reportedly had a rather unflattering nickname for Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. According to royal biographer Ingrid Seward, Philip drew comparisons between Meghan and Wallis Simpson, the American divorcée who married King Edward VIII, leading to his abdication.

Seward revealed that Philip “couldn’t get away from the fact [of the] similarities between Meghan and Harry and Edward and Mrs Simpson.” As a result, the duke allegedly referred to Meghan behind her back as “the Duchess of Windsor” or the abbreviation “DoW,” a nod to Wallis Simpson’s title.

The royal expert explained that Philip was “wary” of Meghan, seeing her as a potential disruptive force within the royal family. “From the moment he detected her apparent similarity to Wallis, he referred to her as DoW,” Seward wrote in her book “My Mother and I.”

The parallels between Meghan and Wallis Simpson were not lost on Philip. Both women were American and had been divorced before marrying into the British royal family, a fact that caused considerable controversy at the time. Seward believes Philip was “canny about people” and tried to see the good in them, but he simply couldn’t ignore the “similarities” between the two women.

While Philip never directly addressed Meghan with this nickname, the implication was clear. The late duke was reportedly “wary” of the former actress, fearing that she, like Wallis Simpson, could be a destabilizing influence on the monarchy.

In contrast, Queen Elizabeth II was said to have had “high hopes” for Meghan and was more optimistic about her joining the royal family. However, the damage had seemingly been done, as Philip’s assessment of Meghan as the “Duchess of Windsor” took hold.

Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, ultimately stepped back from their royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California. Since then, Meghan has rarely returned to the UK, with the exception of special occasions like Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022. It’s believed that Meghan will not accompany Harry on his upcoming visit to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, partly due to safety concerns and a desire to avoid potential “drama.”

The revelations about Philip’s nickname for Meghan underscore the tensions and challenges she faced within the royal family. As an outsider and a divorcée, Meghan was viewed with suspicion by some, including the traditionally-minded Prince Philip. His private moniker for her, referencing the historical precedent of Wallis Simpson, highlights the uphill battle Meghan faced in integrating into the British monarchy.

While the details of the relationship between Meghan and the late Duke of Edinburgh may never be fully known, this insight into Philip’s perspective sheds light on the complex dynamics at play within the royal family during Meghan’s time as a working member of the House of Windsor.