Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family by Omid Scobie & Carolyn Durand

Author:Omid Scobie & Carolyn Durand
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dey Street Books
Published: 2020-08-10T23:00:00+00:00

13

The Thomas Markle Situation

On her last night as a commoner, Meghan Markle was treated like a queen.

At 6:15 p.m. the night before her May 19 vows to Harry, she and Doria pulled up to their accommodations for the evening: the stately 350-year-old, five-star Cliveden House.

The estate has long been at the center of politics and high society. However, it was during the first half of the twentieth century, when Nancy and Waldorf Astor took residence at the property, that the Cliveden became most famous for its lavish hospitality and glamorous guests. The Astors entertained a diverse mix of marquee names, from Winston Churchill to George Bernard Shaw, Gandhi to Henry Ford.

Now it was host to the future Duchess of Sussex. Swiftly whisked from their chauffeured Range Rover to the East Wing of the property, the mother and daughter were shown around their set of suites, including the $1,900-a-night Inchiquin Suite. As Meghan and her mom looked around the room’s stately mix of heavy, upholstered drapery, antique furniture, and original works of art, they were both handed cold flutes of Taittinger champagne.

After months of preparations, everything was ready. Instead of relying on a traditional wedding planner, the couple turned to someone known to the royal household: Thea Garwood, who worked with Harry and William’s former private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, for several years in 2007 when she was an engagement secretary for the brothers. She had been heavily involved in the planning for their Diana memorial concert and became a much-trusted and impeccably organized figure in their lives. Thea, known for her calm in even the most stressful of situations, coordinated discussions between all parties involved, from the Lord Chamberlain’s office (the main channel of communication between the Queen and House of Lords) to the baker and florist—which Meghan chose herself.

No detail was forgotten, including armed police protection officers patrolling the hallways of Cliveden House. A ring of about two dozen additional guards encircled the home’s 376-acre grounds. Harry’s orderly and former paratrooper Tifare Alexander (Tif to those closest) was also on hand if Meghan needed anything.

The wing—where staff members ferried pitchers of sparkling water, cups of green tea, and Arnold Palmers (one of Meghan’s and her father’s favorite drinks) to the suites—had been reserved exclusively for the duchess-to-be and any of her visitors. While she and her mother would be the only ones to stay the night, friends who stopped by included pals Lindsay and Jessica, as well as her beloved rescue beagle Guy, who’d hitched a ride out to Windsor the day before with none other than the Queen.

Michelin-starred in-house chef André Garrett prepared a sit-down dinner in the private dining room, offering the group their choice of autumn squash ravioli (a nod to Meghan’s love of pasta) or grilled Dover sole.

And should Meghan’s guests wish, the spa was at their disposal, masseuses at the ready and the rose- and lavender-scented hot tubs and pools open and waiting.

Meghan was feeling especially in need of a spot of stress relief. While

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