On November 27, my faith was crushed and then resurrected. My ear-splitting alarm woke me up from a deep sleep, and I was not having it. I glanced at the striking bright screen of my iPhone and expected to be bombarded with another tragic headline we’ve unfortunately become accustomed to. But alas, before my very eyes, I was greeted instead with a light hearted Instagram post from @kensingtonroyal, Kensington Palace’s official account. The caption read:
“His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and Ms. Meghan Markle are engaged to be married.”
Suddenly I felt a jolt of energy rush through my body. Prince Harry? Taken? My last chance to be a princess was snatched away from me. Doesn’t he know I am the girl of his dreams and the perfect addition to the royal family? What’s so special about this Meghan Markle girl anyway?
The answer: everything.
Upon delving into some researched fueled by my pointless bitterness, I discovered that Meghan Markle is the epitome of all things wistful and wonderful. Here are just some of the reasons why you should be cheering for this American girl making her way in a British world!
- She is bringing diversity to the monarchy. Meghan is set to be the real life Princess Tiana: a beautiful black goddess finally adding some color to the pallid hues of Kensington. People on Twitter are clamoring in praise, with hashtags like #blackprincess and #blackgirlmagic. We mourned as we waved goodbye to our first black First Lady last year, but we can all take solace that barriers are still being broken all around the world. Meghan is a perfect example, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
- She’s getting a second chance at love. Before finding true love with Prince Harry, Meghan was married to Trevor Engelson, a film producer and talent agent. But sadly, they did not live happily ever after. After two years of marriage, the couple separated in 2013. While not open about the cause of their divorce it is clear that someone is a bitter ex. Engelson is working on a “divorce comedy,” and here is the pitch: “Divorce is hard. Sharing custody is harder. Sharing custody with the British Royal family when your wife marries a prince, in the unforgiving spotlight of London’s tabloid media, is next level.” Sorry to break it to you, Trevor, but considering this petty act of revenge, I think we can safely call Prince Harry an upgrade.
- She has a heart for serving others. As Meghan leaves behind her acting gig at Suits, she will now dive head first into philanthropic work. But Meghan has been helping others for many years now. She is an advocate for the United Nations, and delivered an eloquent and heartfelt speech about gender equality that shows this is a topic she’s cared deeply about since childhood. She is also a Global Ambassador for World Vision and traveled to Delhi and Mumbai. There, she became aware of the stigma surrounding menstrual health, which led her to write an article for Time called “How Periods Affect Potential.” Talk about a world-shaker.
- She. Loves. Him. So. Much. After shamelessly trolling the royal engagement coverage all day, I finally sat down at the end of the night snuggled up in my blanket and watched the full 20 minute BBC News interview. Meghan was positively glowing with happiness and looked at Harry like every man should dream to be looked at. And he looks at her the same way. Harry said, “This beautiful woman just literally tripped and fell into my life.” If you want confirmation that true love exists, watch the full clip. I beg you.
After a rollercoaster of emotions, from jealousy to intrigue to straight-up awe, I am just excited as anyone to watch Meghan walk gracefully down the aisle this May. I am counting down the days until I wake up at the crack of dawn, make my tea, and watch as this poised woman makes history.
*Image via PopSugar.*