4 Reasons Meghan Markle Is Forever Royal In Our Eyes
Last week, the royals formally known as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle broke the British Internet after announcing that they would be taking a step back from their duties at Buckingham Palace to live a more peaceful, private life and we ain't mad at 'em.
The couple, who initially met in July of 2016, has been under a helluva a lot of scrutiny since their relationship began, even more so after jumping the broom two years later. From salacious headlines to egregious violations of privacy, Meghan has made it clear that her ascension to British royalty has taken a toll on her mental health and our boy Harry finally said enough is enough.
Effective spring of this year, Harry and Meghan will no longer use their HRH titles and have been relieved of their responsibilities as working members of the royal family. In other words, when it comes to matters at Buckingham Palace, Harry and Meghan's name ain't Bennett and they ain't innit. On Saturday, Queen Elizabeth II issued a statement that showed her support for the couple's new chapter in life and emphasized that Harry and Meghan will remain beloved members of the royal family:
"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved members of my family. I recognize the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life. I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family. It is my whole family's hope that today's agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life."
In his first address since what the Internet has deemed "Megxit", the Duke of Sussex opened up about his controversial decision and says that he and his wife had "no other option" but to step back from the spotlight. He explained that after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, he refuses to let the "powerful force" that is the media threaten his family any longer:
"When I lost my mum 20 years ago, you took me under your wing, you looked out for me for so long. But the media is a powerful force, and my hope is one day our collective support for each other can be more powerful because this is so much bigger than just us."
While this couple may have decided to take a step back from their life as royals, here are 4 reasons why Meghan will always be a queen in our eyes.
1.Sis Is Fly AF
Meghan Markle is one of the most iconic style icons Buckingham Palace has ever seen.
I said what I said. Don't @ me.
Despite the extensive rules and regulations imposed on her wardrobe after becoming a member of the Royal Family, Meghan's outfits never fail to come through with all the style and grace Biggie talked about.
2.Sis Is Real AF
Last year, Meghan gave a us a potent reminder to check on our strong friends after a heartbreaking interview that revealed that she was not OK. As a new wife and mother, Meghan has been transparent about the fact that she has to check-in with her mental health just as much as the rest of us.
3.Sis Is Forever Giving Back
A true queen gives back––that's why you can always catch Meghan on a mission. From her work with women and children in South Africa to her recent trip to Vancouver to help with climate change, Meghan is forever giving back.
4.Sis Held Her Own
Giving up isn't always a sign of weakness and Meghan Markle is a proof of this fact. The media has been at the now-38-year-old mother-of-one's neck for nearly three years and no one deserves that kind of abuse. Despite her decision to step back from the spotlight, Meg has made it very clear that her mama didn't raise no punk.
Featured image by Samir Hussein/WireImage
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Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Another season of Love Is Blind has come to a close, and almost two months later we’re still unpacking the drama that is Clay and AD. The finale, reunion, and post-interviews with Clay and AD after season six of Love Is Blind left millions of people wondering - why couldn’t AD see the signs? Clay told her he had a fear of marriage, his parents experienced infidelity, and he seemed to have many doubts about saying, "I do."
After changing his mind at the altar and hearing AD question why she feels like she’s never enough, I was finished watching. I didn’t need to hear anything else because, at that moment, I realized this wasn’t about Clay; this was about AD feeling inadequate before she ever met Clay.
If I’m honest, I don’t watch much dating television. TikTok keeps me updated with the clips that I need to see in order to be kept in the loop, but it’s difficult for me to watch an entire season of dating TV because seeing Black women settle for less and questioning their beauty is a trigger for me. In many ways, there were points in my life where I was AD, settling and ignoring red flags because I wanted to be loved.
Now, on the other side, it doesn’t feel good to see Black women lower their standards on national television. There have been many hot takes on this couple and who was in the wrong. Did Clay play in AD’s face or did she not listen to the truth of what he told her from day one? Was his reason for joining the show to promote his business and not to find the one?
We’ll never know the truth, but what we can do is learn tactics to better our self-worth. Founder and CEO of The Self Love Organization Denise Francis shared her expertise with xoNecole on what tangible steps to take to improve feelings of worthiness. “Self-love blooms in a garden where self-worth is planted, nourished, and whole. However, when your self-worth is challenged, displaced, or broken, it could be difficult to rebuild," Denise explains.
How To Rebuild Self-Worth
During her self-love coaching sessions, Denise likes to walk her clients through the cornerstones of rebuilding self-worth: grace and self-compassion. To her, self-worth is never lost, it's only displaced, so practicing self-compassion and giving yourself grace is a must. "We tend to place our self-worth in entities and people of ourselves such as relationship status, physical appearance, material possessions, social media followings, what others think of us, and more. Self-worth is not something to be measured by anyone or anything outside of ourselves because we all innately hold value and worth.
"Self-worth is not something to be measured by anyone or anything outside of ourselves because we all innately hold value and worth."
"When we place our value into people or things, we tend to feel that we are not enough, worth it, special, or important when relationship status, job titles, friendships, and physical appearances are lost or changed. We then tend to feel lost within ourselves because we’ve placed our value outside of ourselves. Using grace and compassion, you can rebuild your self-worth by returning home to who you are at your core," she concludes.
How To Return Home To Yourself
Denise advises taking a step back and using self-reflection through journaling by answering the following journaling prompts:
First, ask yourself, "What do you tend to attach your self-worth to and why?"
Is it your relationships, your job title, your finances, your appearance, etc.? Why do you think you place so much emphasis on external status? How does it make you feel when you are defining yourself through these entities and/or people outside of yourself?
Then, ask yourself, "Without these things, who am I?"
Once you have your answers, show yourself kindness, remove the shame, and, as Denise says, "Redefine yourself by detaching your value from the things and people you have no control over and no longer serve you. Challenge yourself to define yourself outside of titles and societal values."
"By returning home to your core, you find value in who you are as a person. You begin to find value in the way you love instead of your relationship status, your compassion instead of your popularity, your drive instead of your income/job title, and your heart instead of your physical appearance," she adds.
"By returning home to your core, you find value in who you are as a person."
"Be intentional with healing your self-worth by leaning into the people and things that nourish your core values. Surround yourself with the people who love and cherish you, they will always remind you just how valuable you truly are."
It all goes back to self-compassion and grace. As Denise explains, leading with those two things as you heal and rebuild your self-worth allows you to reduce negative self-talk that might come up for you. "This weakens thoughts like, 'I am not enough... why am I never enough?'" she shares, "And 'I don't deserve this while strengthening thoughts like 'I deserve better,' 'I am enough,' and 'I am worth it.'"
Denise continues, "Once you return home and remember the irreplaceable person you are, you can rebuild your self-worth by placing it back where it belongs. It belongs to you."
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Featured image by LaylaBird/Getty Images