Harry and Meghan: What you didn’t know about Britain’s infamous sweethearts

One of the most hyped docu-series to grace the world of streaming, Harry and Meghan on Netflix has had us hooked and how. Divided into two volumes, the documentary takes a deep dive into the lives of these former Royals, offering fans a ringside view of their surreal love story. The series also sheds light on their volatile relationship with the British press and the Royal Family's response to racist articles about Meghan. But the series slowly yet comprehensively establishes the context and circumstances that led the famous couple to consider exiting the royal family. So for today’s List hai toh hit hai, we look at some lesser-known facts about Britain’s infamous sweethearts, Harry and Megan.

1. Both Harry and Meghan changed their first names

Though most know him as Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex was born Prince Henry Charles Albert David to his father King Charles and late mother Princess Diana. As it turns out, even Meghan Markle was born Rachel Meghan Markle in Los Angeles. It is only later that she replaced her first name with her middle name.

2. Meghan is a master in calligraphy

Not many people know this extraordinary fact about the duchess but Meghan is an excellent and professional calligrapher. In fact, she’s even taught a part-time calligraphy class at Paper Source in Beverly Hills before she made her mark in Tinseltown. It was one of the few side hustles that kept her afloat when she was auditioning for acting gigs in LA.

3. Their incognito date

Meetcute fans are always stoked to find out how a couple actually crossed paths for the first time and who made the first move. In an interview, Prince Harry disclosed that one of their first dates was, in fact, in a supermarket in London. Since they needed to conceal their new relationship, they pretended to not know each other. Given his royal legacy, it’s hardly surprising that Harry drew curious looks from fellow shoppers. But to avoid controversy and conceal the fact that he was accompanied by a mysterious lady friend, Harry and Meghan resigned to opposite sides of the aisle and interacted only through text messages. So much for keeping it under the lid!

4. Meghan paid for her college tuition

Meghan was a student at Northwestern University, Illinois where she completed her double major in theatre and international studies. According to reports from her lawyer, earlier knowledge of Mr Markle taking a loan to pay her tuition was discredited. It was revealed that her scholarship and work-study programme covered her tuition fees. This corroborates the fact she was responsible for bearing most of her university expenses.

5. Meghan's iconic tribute veil for her royal wedding

The royals are known for making a statement at their big public weddings and Meghan Markle did not shy away from that custom. To pay tribute to the 54 countries belonging to Britain's former Empire, she wore a veil with embroidered flowers of those Commonwealth nations. Her royal tribute channeled more than just the United Kingdom but also countries that were once under the British empire.

5. Harry made a visit to the rehab clinic after alleged drug abuse

Few would note that Prince Harry once had a wild side and as a young man he had experimented with alcohol and drugs. While completing his A-levels, he was often spotted at a nightclub. To put a stop to this rebellious streak, his father King Charles arranged for him to visit a rehabilitation clinic to wean him off drugs.

7. Meghan's children’s picture book was initially just a poem

Meghan published her first children's book called The Bench back in 2021. The picture book is inspired by the father-son relationship between her husband Harry and son Archie. Meghan revealed in one of her interviews that the book started out as a poem she wrote on Father’s Day, soon after her son Archie was born. She also narrated the story for the audiobook version of The Bench.

8. Prince Harry's gag gift to the late Queen

The naughty Prince Harry always lives up to his name. One of his famous pranks was on his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. To keep to her wishes for a modest but funny Christmas present, the duke gifted her a shower cap with the following message printed on it: "Ain't life a b****". Now that would surely make her the queen of cool!

Well thats the OTTplay List hai toh hit hai for today, until the next time it's your host Nikhil signing out.

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• Written by Sneha Singh