The public was surprised late last year to learn that Meghan Markle, fiancee of Prince Harry, had been invited to spend the Christmas holiday with the British royal family. Up until that point, protocol was set that only official family members could participate in the Christmas celebration of the royal family. The day was widely publicized and after Christmas, Harry went on BBC radio and spoke about the occasion.
Sarah Montague interviewed the prince, asking about introducing Meghan Markle to the holiday traditions of the royal family. Harry responded, “We’ve got one of the biggest families that I know of and every family is complex as well.” He went on to comment, “She’s done an absolutely amazing job. She’s getting in there and it’s the family, I suppose, she’s never had.”
Not long after he made these remarks, did Markle’s relatives come forward to express their displeasure, especially Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Grant.
Grant tweeted a response to the comment, saying “Actually she has a large family who were always there with her and for her. Our household was very normal and when dad and Doria divorced, we all made it so it was like she had two houses.” Grant also wrote, “No one was estranged, she was just too busy. Read my book complete with facts and photos.”
Markle’s sister is planning a book regarding her half-sister, their upbringing and family, and has been known to speak unflatteringly about Meghan as well. Fox News reported that Grant has said in the past, “Hollywood has changed her. I think her ambition is to become a princess… The truth would kill her relationship with Prince Harry.”
After Prince Harry’s remarks, Samantha Grant also went on to Tweet, “Meg’s family(our family) is complete with sister, brother,aunts, uncles, cousins, and the glue of our family, our amazing completely self-sacrificing father,” she wrote. “She always had this family,… Marrying merely extends it.”
Despite Harry’s choice of words and the backlash they’ve garnered, it appears that Harry and Meghan had a fantastic holiday with the royal family, and are looking forward to many more.
