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When the Duchess of Sussex and Her Majesty stepped out on their first ever royal trip together in Chester over the weekend, it was clear they were showing the world a united front, and their strong bond is evident.
As the power couple travelled for an away day to open a theatre, unveil a bridge and attend a lunch, they sent a message out to the public that this was one of many trips the pair will undertake, in a bid to show solidarity between them.
‘There was a huge amount of excitement and anticipation about the Queen’s first joint trip with Meghan within the palace,’ a source told New Idea.
‘No-one can believe that the Queen has taken this unprecedented step of doing a night away with Meghan without Harry so soon after the wedding. This is definitely the Queen’s way of giving Meghan her seal of approval.’
It’s no secret that Prince Harry is one of the Queen’s favourites and, according to insiders, she has taken Meghan under her wing. They’ve got a pact to have each other’s back behind palace doors.
‘Her Majesty has taken a special interest in her.
‘She knows that she’s coming into the royal family as an outsider – an American who has no roots in Britain – and wants her to feel at home. The Queen feels sorry for Meghan after all the drama with her father and family, and wants her to feel at home with her.’
In fact, so close is their relationship, Meghan calls her ‘mama’, something the Queen herself asked her to do.
‘She’s encouraged Meghan to call her “Mama” – all the members of the royal family have a nickname for the Queen, and that’s Meghan’s one.
‘They have developed a very special bond. Harry has always been the Queen’s favourite – and now Meghan is as well.’
According to palace insiders, leading up to the wedding, the Queen asked Meghan to sign a $500 million prenup – the palace lawyers thought it was wise given that Harry and Meghan hadn’t known each other that long before their engagement – and the Queen readily agreed.
‘Meghan was only too happy to sign the prenup – she doesn’t want anyone thinking that she’s entered into the marriage with bad intentions, especially the Queen. The only clause that she asked was that the Queen not discuss it with any other senior royals, such as Charles and William. She wanted it confidential,’ the source spills.
The prenup basically states that Harry’s $500 million fortune is protected if the marriage ends.
Meghan will, of course, be compensated based on how long she stays in the marriage, but she won’t be able to make a significant claim for his millions.
As well as Meghan and the Queen’s agreement, the Duchess of Sussex and Duchess Kate have also agreed to protect each other and be one another’s aides whenever palace politics get out of hand.
‘The pair made a pact to always show a face of unity together no matter what was going on behind the scenes. They believe the Queen would want them to put on a solid and unbreakable facade as the future of the monarchy.
‘It’s important to them that the Queen knows that they’re doing everything they can to be the type of royal women she admires and respects, and keeping any palace in fighting and squabbles out of their work is what is important to Her Majesty. So Meghan and Kate intend to do just that,’ the source added.
For the full story see this weeks issue of New Idea – out now!
