Meghan Markle has shared her wedding speech - and revealed that she made a pointed dig at royal life in front of her new in-laws.
Reading the speech from her phone while sat beside Prince Harry in the final episode of her new Netflix show, Harry & Meghan, she said her first line "got a big laugh" from guests.
She then read out: "Onto the crux of why I wanted to speak tonight. First of all, it’s been a while," in a nod to the tense circumstances in the run-up to the big day, as a public row with her dad and half-sister played out. At this point, Harry and Meghan were still following the royal motto of 'Never Complain, Never Explain'.
With less than a week to go before the big day, Thomas Markle announced he would not be attending after he was caught posing for paparazzi photos, leaving the bride with nobody to walk her down the aisle, until King Charles offered to step in.
Continuing to recall her speech, Meghan goes on: "But mostly I wanted to share a story. A story about the man that I love and the way that we met.
“Let’s call this a modern fairytale. Once upon a time, there was a girl from LA. Some people called her ‘an actress’.
"And there was a guy from London. Some people called him ‘a prince’. All of those people didn’t fully get it. Because this is the love story of a boy and a girl who were meant to be together.
"They meet on July 3rd, 2016 in London and they giggle endlessly.
"They have their second date and he brings her cupcakes because it’s 4 July.'‘A bittersweet celebration’, he says. Ironic really.
"Her country’s independence from his country. Yet in this moment they know they don’t want to be independent from each other.
"And after a month of long-distance courtship, they settle into the quiet of Botswana. And amidst whatever momentary worries that creep in, they look at each other and think, whatever world we’re in.
"They would love and garden and travel and laugh, and rack up more air miles than any couple could have.
"And when the tides were rough, they squeezed each other tighter. ‘Nothing can break us,’ they’d say. ‘For this love, she was a fighter.’
"I appreciate, respect and honour you, my treasure, for the family we will create. And our love story that will last forever.
"So I ask you to raise a glass to the astounding assurance that now life begins. And the everlasting knowing that, above all, love wins.”
Following the wedding, Thomas Markle claimed he did want to attend the wedding – and said his doctors had not allowed him to travel due to recent health scares following a heart attack.
Meghan addressed this in the Netflix show claiming the Royals wanted her to make it stop after he began to hit out at the wider family.
She said: "After the wedding, my dad started doing these interviews mostly saying things about me.
" It was incredibly painful and the world is watching this drama play out. And then he started criticising the royal family and it was very embarrassing for the family. It was a problem that needed to be solved and they wanted me to make it stop.”
Last week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex railed against their treatment by the Firm, and the pair further discussed their relationship with the Royal Family and the media today.
Meanwhile, the royal family, including King Charles and Prince William are out on a joint engagement today, putting on a united front as they join the Princess of Wales for her Christmas carol concert in Westminster Abbey.
Nearly 2,000 people are set to gather at Abbey for some festive cheer, staged to hail the “selfless efforts of individuals, families and communities across the UK, and celebrate and showcase the joy that human connection and togetherness can bring”.
Kensington Palace said the second carol service Kate has held was dedicated to the late Queen Elizabeth II and the values she demonstrated throughout her life, including “duty, empathy, faith, service, kindness, compassion and support for others”.
The first part of Sussexes’ six-part show has become the streaming giant’s most-watched documentary in a premier week, a spokesman revealed this week, with a staggering 81.55 million hours viewed.
Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have declined to comment so far on any allegations
Last week, royal insiders have said the King and William will keep “a dignified silence” and not engage in a “tit-for-tat” battle.
