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Meghan Markle today revealed she studied for the UK’s citizenship test after meeting Prince Harry, who had ‘no idea’ about some answers when she asked for help because it was ‘so hard’.
The Duchess of Sussex’s guest on her latest Spotify podcast episode is First Lady of Canada Sophie Trudeau. The friends spoke about the challenges of parenting and being a partner to two famous men.
The pair described the ‘crushing guilt’ of being a mother in the public eye. Meghan, 41, revealed she threw a pool party this summer for Mrs Trudeau, in which the two ‘giggled like schoolgirls’ and drank wine on the terrace of her Montecito mansion.
On episode eight of her Archetypes show, called Good Wife/Bad Wife, Good Mom/Bad Mom, Meghan also chatted to comedian Pamela Adlon, best known as the voice of Bobby Hill in animated comedy series King of the Hill, who became a British citizen in 2020.
Meghan also revealed that she prepared for the Life in the UK test. Although she is LA born and based, Ms Markle is not believed to be a British citizen, having reportedly abandoned the idea after Megxit in 2020.
Experts said she did not live in the UK for the three years required to get spousal citizenship after marrying Harry, 38, in 2018. She arrived in Britain in November 2017 and left by December 2019.
The Duchess of Sussex said: ‘That citizenship exam is so hard. I was studying for it [the test] and I remember going, “Oh my goodness”. I would ask my husband, “Did you know this? Did you know this?” And he would say, “I had no idea”.’
She did not expand on whether she ever took the test – or just studied for it. But Ms Adlon joked: ‘I think they made it harder for you. They were like, “We’re gonna really throw up walls on this one”.’
Meghan would have needed to pass the Life in the UK Test, which costs £50 per try and has a 75 per cent pass mark, before applying for citizenship.
The 45-minute test features 24 multiple choice questions about UK laws and the legal system, working in the country, its history, culture and other details of British life. It can be rebooked an unlimited number of times, but applicants must pay each time.
It can also contain questions about the Royal Family – which she remains a member of – such as which King was executed in 1649 and who established the Church of England.
When her engagement to Harry was confirmed in 2017, Buckingham Palace announced the former Suits star would become a British citizen.
But the Sussexes quit the working monarchy in 2020 and moved to the US via Canada, amid reports Meghan had abandoned the process.
In the latest podcast episode:
- Meghan’s mother Doria pops up halfway through the podcast when she Facetimed her daughter;
- There was a long chat with Sophie Trudeau, who is one of Meghan’s closest friends. There were rumours that Justin Trudeau and his wife were consulted about Megxit before the Royal Family and even the late Queen;
- Meghan described Sophie as a ‘humanitarian mother’. She said: ‘Sophie has become a dear friend and someone who I think is so emblematic of strength that comes from embracing your humanity, even in the face of all these family and home and public pressures’;
- Meghan revealed how she and Harry start the day by looking after their children – from prepping Archie’s lunch box to feeding their three dogs and making breakfast for her family, which is ‘very important to her’;
- The Duchess of Sussex went on to say she ‘bows down’ to women who go through the same morning rush as single mothers and added ‘it is so hard being a mum’;
Meghan has revealed she studied for the UK citizenship test – and Harry struggled with some of the answers – but it has long been reported that she did not end up taking British citizenship
Meghan Markle’s star guest on her new Spotify podcast is First Lady of Canada, Sophie Trudeau. Both are pictured together in a photo booth at the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (CAFA) at Soho House in Toronto in 2016
The Duke, 38, and Duchess of Sussex, 41, bought the sprawling nine-bedroom and 16-bathroom mansion (pictured) in upscale Montecito, Santa Barbara, for $14.65million. It appears they and the Trudeaus enjoyed some recent pool time when the two mothers were ‘giddy like schoolgirls’
Meghan described the episode as digging into roles women play on the home front and looking at how to ‘break out of the limiting version of these moulds society has carved out for us’.
According to the explosive biography Finding Freedom, when she began dating Harry in 2016, Meghan was urged to take advice from Mrs Trudeau by her friend Jessica Mulroney, who deemed the two women ‘now had a lot in common’ due to their famous husbands.
The podcast refers to Mrs Trudeau as the ‘First Lady of Canada’ but in fact the proper term is ‘Spouse of the Prime Minister’.
Meghan admitted Sophie ‘used to send me little meditations during my pregnancy’ and voice notes ‘of encouragement’, adding: ‘I’ve gone to her over the years for advice.’
Meghan introduced Mrs Trudeau as a ‘humanitarian mother’ she met in Toronto, where Meghan was living while filming Suits, at the city’s fashion week seven years ago.
The Duchess of Sussex became part of Toronto’s ‘platinum elite’, which included their mutual friend Ms Mulroney.
She said: ‘Sophie has become a dear friend and someone who I think is so emblematic of strength that comes from embracing your humanity, even in the face of all these family and home and public pressures, keeping that sense of self while holding up the mantle of what comes with being a parent and a spouse, that’s a full plate.’
They were pictured posing cheek-to-cheek in a photobooth at the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (CAFA) at exclusive Soho House in the city in 2016.
Mrs Trudeau’s husband Justin, who has been Canada’s prime minister since 2015, urged his country to welcome the Sussexes after they emigrated from the UK. They would later move to Los Angeles.
In the podcast, Meghan describes a day of laughter and fun at her Montecito mansion with Mrs Trudeau. Their children played in the swimming pool on pizza-shaped floats while they drank wine ‘on the terrace’ and were ‘giddy like absolute schoolgirls.’
Meghan said: ‘This wasn’t our day of being the wives and moms, all perfectly quaffed with up-dos and pearls and demure smiles.
‘This was the other version of us both with wild curly hair and swimsuits and loose linen and huge belly laughs. Big cuddles with our little ones, quiet whispers of girl talk on the terrace, giddy like absolute schoolgirls. We were just having so much fun.’
The Duchess of Sussex also spoke to TV star Pamela Adlon (left) and SNL comedian Sam Jay (right), who has a Netflix series
According to Finding Freedom, Meghan had met Mrs Trudeau’s husband at the One Young World summit in Ottawa that year, with the pair pictured deep in conversation.
‘Sophie had given up a career in television, where she had been working as a correspondent on CTV’s eTalk, to take on a more formal role alongside her husband as he hit the campaign trail,’ the authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand claim.
‘The pair became fast email friends, Meghan was interested to hear how Sophie had successfully made the move from an entertainment news correspondent to much-beloved First Lady, all while skillfully dodging controversy.’
A close friend of Trudeau and a former cabinet member told the authors: ‘Sophie would have made it clear that every single aspect of Meghan’s past would be dug up, so the most important thing was to be honest with Harry – tell him everything.
‘Sophie’s a smart woman and the perfect brain for Meghan to pick. She knows how difficult something like this is. Few people can relate or truly sympathise. For those of us that knew about their friendship, it was amazing to see the change in Meghan that followed.’
Sophie Trudeau attended the funeral of the Queen with her husband, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on September 19, pictured. Meghan described her as a friend
In January 2020 there was speculation Mr Trudeau may even have given a cryptic Twitter clue about Meghan and Harry’s departure from the Royal Family.
Diplomatic sources claimed Mr Trudeau and his wife were consulted about the decision before members of the Royal Family and even the Queen.
Prince Harry and Mr Trudeau have always looked to enjoy each other’s company at events such as Commonwealth commemorations and have encountered each other on multiple occasions through Harry’s Invictus Games for disabled servicemen.
In today’s podcast, Meghan also spoke about her family’s whirlwind morning routine and how she makes breakfast for Harry, Archie and Lilibet every day, saying it is important to her and she loves doing it.
The duchess said: ‘Lili has just started walking. she’s a year and a couple months old, and Archie’s just over three years old, so … I’m in the thick of it. Toddling.’
She went on: ‘So the morning rush – I’m sure it’ll only get more chaotic as they get older.
‘But for me, it’s, you know, both monitors on for the kids to hear them, always up with Lili, get her downstairs, then a half hour later Archie’s up. Start doing his lunch box right before he’s up, while I have her, getting her a little nibble.
‘My husband’s helping me get him downstairs. I make breakfast for all three of them. It’s very important to me. I love doing it.
‘For me it just feels like the greatest way to start the morning. And then it’s like, feed all three of the dogs because we just got another dog and then get Archie out the door to school and… it feels like a whirlwind.’
Adlon asked: ‘I hope daddy’s being a good contributor?’ Meghan replied: ‘Oh my husband, oh he’s great. I mean, to do this as a single mom, I like bow down to you.’
The duchess added: ‘Why is it still so judgmental and hard out there? And why – there’s an expectation for it to look so easy for some? – just so put together… can we just all be real?’
Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland also featured in the podcast for the first time, with a recording of her FaceTiming while the duchess was working on the episode.
Meghan greets her with ‘Hey Mommy’ and Ms Ragland can be heard saying: ‘Hey. How’s my girl?’
The duchess replies: ‘I’m okay. I’m hanging in there. It’s okay. I’m recording right now. Do you want to see?’
As they chat, Ms Ragland says: ‘You have on a smiley face.’
The pair tell each other they love one another and Meghan’s mother signs off by clicking her fingers in a ‘cool handshake’ Meghan taught her when she was eight, which she describes as ‘snap, scissors, cut, chicken wing’.
‘Hi Mommy!’ Doria Ragland makes a cameo in Meghan Markle’s podcast Archetypes after FaceTiming while she was recording – as Duchess praises her mother for ‘juggling so much’ while raising her
Meghan Markle’s mother Doria Ragland made a surprise cameo in her Spotify podcast today.
In a soundbite shared by Meghan on the podcast, which was releaed this morning, Doria could be heard FaceTiming her and speaking to her daughter for a few seconds as she was recording the show from her Montecito home in California.
The Duchess of Sussex said the spontaneous moment made her reflect on the way in which Doria, who lives close by in Los Angeles, has supported her throughout her life.
She also joked that they still do a handshake she came up with when she was eight, and said that being mother can be ‘the most thankless unpaid labor there is.’
Meghan Markle’s mother Doria Ragland made a surprise cameo in her Spotify podcast today. Pictured in 2018 before the royal wedding
Meghan played the soundbite of the FaceTime call during the podcast, explaining Doria had interrupted her recording a few weeks beforehand by calling her.
‘So, a few weeks ago while I was working on this very episode, my mom called. She actually FaceTimed,’ she said, before the clip played.
In the outtake, Meghan could be heard saying: ‘Oh sugar, my mom’s FaceTiming me.’
She then picked up the phone and could be heard saying: ‘Hey, Mommy,’ with Doria replying ‘Hey, how’s my girl?’.
‘Hey, I’m okay, I’m hanging in there,’ Meghan could be heard chuckling, before adding: ‘It’s okay, I’m recording right now. Do you want to see?’
‘We’re just doing some podcasting. Can I call you back in a little bit,’ she was then heard asking.
‘It was just your run-of-the-mill mother-daughter, conversation,’ Meghan can be heard saying in a voiceover playing midway through the soundbite.
‘I have on a smiley face,’ Doria could be heard saying, with Meghan repeating ‘I have on a smiley face,’ and ‘I love you.’
Meghan took the occasion of her mother calling her while she was recording to bring up something they have been sharing since she was a child.
‘My mom, she did this thing I do. You may have heard this clicking sound that she was doing,’ she said.
‘All right, gang, my mom literally just pulled out a reference of what I came up with as a cool handshake to do with her when I was about eight, which was snap scissors, cut chicken,’ she said, laughing.
‘I’m 41-years-old. And she’s like, ‘okay’,’ she laughed into the microphone. ‘It’s great. And it just put me right back into the past thinking about my childhood and our little quirks together.
‘And then with this episode on my brain, it got me thinking about all the ways my mom supported me, how she took care of me and the house and herself and how she just juggled so much,’ she went on.
‘The amount that women carry, that they navigate – it’s immense, and it’s often the most thankless unpaid labor there is,’ she added.
‘There’s no union, there’s no lunch break. There’s nothing like that. At home, women just work really, really hard,’ she added.
‘A lot of that work is born out of necessity, but so much of it is also born out of expectations,’ she said.
Meghan’s political pool party! Duchess reveals she ‘giggled like a schoolgirl’ with Sophie Trudeau at her $14 million mansion where they ‘splashed about on an inflatable pizza slice’ and ‘drank wine’
Meghan Markle has revealed how she threw a pool party this summer with First Lady of Canada Sophie Trudeau where the two ‘giggled like schoolgirls’ on her latest podcast episode.
The Duchess of Sussex, 41, who is currently living in her $14 million mansion in California, released the seventh show from her Archetypes series today, describing her guest Sophie as ‘a dear friend.’
During the introduction, the royal mother-of-two described how she hosted the event at her home in Santa Barbara earlier this year, adding it was a chance to ‘get the kids together, drink wine, swim.’
She described how she had bought an ‘inflatable pizza slice online’ which the family ‘splashed about on’ calling it ‘a big hit.’
According to the explosive biography Finding Freedom, when she began dating Harry in 2016, Meghan was urged to take advice from Sophie by her friend Jessica Mulroney, who deemed the two women ‘now had a lot in common’.
Meghan Markle has revealed how she threw a pool party this summer with First Lady of Canada Sophie Trudeau where the two ‘giggled like schoolgirls’ on her latest podcast episode.
Meghan had previously met her husband Justin Trudeau at the One Young World summit in Ottawa in 2016, with the pair pictured deep in conversation
Starting the podcast today, Meghan said: ‘This past summer, a friend of mine was in town with her kids, for a few days.
‘Now, this to me was very exciting because I hadn’t seen her for a while, and the idea of getting our kids together, this was a real treat – [to] swim and drink wine.
‘We splashed in the water, then threw some pool floats in.
‘By the way, the inflatable pizza, slice proved to be a big hit, which I found online.
‘And I kid you not the one without pepperoni was a few dollars less than the one with pepperoni.
‘And yes, I’m still talking about the inflatable Pizza, float for the pool. We all got a good laugh out of that.
She continued: ‘But all that aside, this wasn’t our day of being the wives and moms.
‘All perfectly quaffed with updos and pearls and demure smiles.’
‘This was the other version of us both with wild curly hair and swimsuits and loose linen and huge belly laughs, big cuddles with our little ones.
‘And quiet whispers of girl talk on the terrace, like absolute schoolgirls.’
‘We were just having so much fun.’
Meghan went on to reveal she was talking about an event with Sophie, whom she has known for a number of years before joining the royal family.
Elsewhere, she described how she had ‘gone to Sophie for advice’ over the years, after meeting ‘seven years ago.’
Meghan Markle’s ‘morning rush’: Duchess details her ‘whirlwind’ Montecito routine – including prepping Archie’s lunch box, feeding their three dogs and making breakfast for her family, which is ‘very important to her’
Meghan Markle has shared a glimpse of her ‘whirlwind’ morning routine on her latest Spotify podcast episode.
The Duchess of Sussex, 41, who is currently living in her $14million mansion in California, alongside her husband Prince Harry, 38, and their two children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, released the seventh show from her Archetypes series today.
Speaking to one of her guests, American actress Pamela Adlon, in the episode ‘Good Wife/Bad Wife, Good Mom/Bad Mom’, Meghan revealed what mornings are like for her and the Duke of Sussex in their Montecito home.
Describing her ‘morning rush,’ Meghan revealed how she and Prince Harry start the day by looking after their children – from prepping Archie’s lunch box to feeding their three dogs and making breakfast for her family, which is ‘very important to her’.
Meghan Markle (pictured with Prince Harry and their children) has shared a glimpse of her ‘whirlwind’ morning routine on her latest Spotify podcast episode
The Duchess of Sussex, 41, who is currently living in her $14million mansion in California , alongside her husband Prince Harry, 38, and their two children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, released the seventh show from her Archetypes series today (pictured)
‘So the morning rush I’m sure it’ll only get more chaotic as they get older,’ Meghan said. ‘But for me, it’s, you know, both monitors on for the kids to hear them, always up with Lily, get her downstairs, then a half hour later Archie’s up.’
She went on to say she ‘start[s] doing his lunch box right before he’s up while I have her, getting her a little nibble, my husband’s help me get him downstairs.’
Meghan added: I make breakfast for all three of them. It’s very important to me. I love doing it. For me it just feels like the greatest way to start the morning.
After breakfast, the mother-of-two moves to feed the family’s dogs, and revealed Harry and her recently got a third pet.
‘And then it’s like feed all three of the dogs – because we just got another dog – and then it’s get Archie out the door for school and, you know, but it does, it feels like a whirlwind,’ she said.
Pamela then said she hopes Prince Harry contributes to this demanding morning routine and ‘kid time.’
‘Also, I hope dad is being a good contributor to like the time, the kid time,’ she said. To which Meghan replied: ‘Oh my husband? He’s great.’
Inside King Charles’s Buckingham Palace: Harry and Meghan’s photo still takes pride of place, finds SIOFRA BRENNAN on her video tour of what’s changed under the new monarch
King Charles has been on the throne for just over a month, and he is already reshaping the monarchy.
In this video guide Mail Online takes a look at how Buckingham Palace has changed since he took over.
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