Meghan's reponse to Prince Charles' offer to walk her down the aisle

Meghan chose to compromise

According to an extract from royal author Robert Hardman's new book, on learning her father Thomas Markle wouldn't attend her 2018 wedding, the Duchess of Sussex chose an unconventional path down the aisle instead.

Hardman writes that Prince Charles offered to walk his soon-to-be daughter-in-law down the aisle as a father-figure substitute, to which Meghan replied: “Can we meet halfway?”

In the book Robert Hardman reveals that the Duchess' response took Prince Charles by surprise and shows she was “confident and independent.”

In his book, The Queen of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II, Hardman delves into the Markle family drama surrounding the wedding, which saw Meghan’s mother, Doria, as the only member of Meghan’s family in attendance.

“The dynamics of her [Meghan’s] family certainly eclipsed the usual criticisms about the royal family being dysfunctional,” Hardman writes.

Since their fairytale wedding the couple have stepped back from royal life and relocated to California to focus on their family and their Archewell foundation.

The couple were honoured at last week's NAACP awards for their work and achievements in public service, particularly in racial and social justice.

Taking to the stage to accept the prestigious President's Award, Markle said in the couple’s acceptance speech: “Today, we can continue that legacy by reestablishing federal voting protections in our country and fulfilling the work of civil rights giants, like the late John Lewis. We are so deeply humbled to be here in the company of so many illustrious awardees.”

The couple also aknowledged the ongoing war in Ukraine: “We would like to acknowledge the people of Ukraine, who urgently need our continued support as a global community."

The pair have turned their attention to several charitable causes via the Archewell foundation, from Black Lives Matter, spreading awareness for the importance of Covid-19 vaccinations and now the Ukrainian conflict.

Prince Harry, 37, made a solo appearance attending the Stockyards Rodeo event in Fort Worth in Texas on Saturday dressed in a cowboy-style hat, where he reportedly joked about his lack of bull-riding talent. The news has caused controversy due to Meghan's animal activism and strong aversion to blood-sports.