Having met the charming Irish American Meghan Markle our writer plans on wholeheartedly celebrating her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018
I already know when I’m next changing my cover photo on Facebook: Clarence House have announced it’ll be spring 2018 and I’m a stickler for timing social media posts for when they get the most traction.
The day before the soon to be Duke and Duchess of Sussex walk down the aisle I’ll click ‘Update Cover Photo’ and change it one of me and Britain’s newest Royal Highness. Does that make me a West Brit?
Of all the speakers who came to talk to students at Trinity College in Dublin when I was there, Meghan Markle was by far the nicest. Granted I didn’t get to speak to many, but of those I did Markle was in a league of her own.
Every year Trinity’s two rival debating societies send out a flurry of invites to guests asking them to visit us, tell us about what made them famous and then get taken for dinner.
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In 2013, before she started dating Prince Harry, Markle wasn’t considered top billing and we almost didn’t invite her at all. Shout out to my friend Glen who, unlike most council members, had something of an insight into the inner mindset of the average Irish lad and knew she’d pack out the event.
Now engaged to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle proved one of the nicest guests to The Phil in our writer's memory.
Even after inviting her it was decided she wasn’t important enough for our top award: to become an Honorary Patron or “Hon Pat” of the society, so we shoved her something called a “Bram Stoker Medal” - named after the former society member who wrote ‘Dracula’.
With hindsight, considering she might yet rival Princess Diana for fame and star power that was bit of a mistake but she still seemed pretty happy to get the little plastic medal in a box - she even said she’d put it on her desk in ‘Suits’.
I don’t remember much of the talk and tragically, unlike most of our events, we didn’t film it and put it online. I do remember one student asking her why she hadn’t responded to his tweet asking if she’d like to stay at his whilst she was in Dublin. Half the room brayed, the other half cringed.
Afterwards she posed for photos with the society’s members of council on a chaise longue I can’t believe a student society was ever able to afford.
Members of the Phil, with Meghan Markle (center), including James Wilson, on the left arms of couch.
British observers might nod approvingly at what is clearly her flicking a Churchillian ‘V for Victory’ sign at the camera. They are wrong, it is called a ‘peace and pout’ pose in Ireland.
I do remember asking her if she felt if the career of her character in ‘Suits’ has plateaued. Something that meant she called me a ‘joker’. All I know is that I’m sure she’ll remember this encounter when she knights me at some point in the not too distant future.
So good luck to her: the last Royal Wedding made a lot of people very happy and I’m sure this one will do the same.
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