Before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior working royals in 2020, King Charles III had a particularly unusual and telling nickname for his daughter-in-law, Meghan Markle.
The moniker, which has now been revealed, sheds light on the monarch's personal admiration for the Duchess's character during her time within The Firm.
The Meaning Behind 'Tungsten'
When Meghan Markle was a working royal, the then-Prince of Wales often referred to her as 'Tungsten'.
This bizarre nickname was chosen specifically to acknowledge her seemingly unshakeable toughness and unbending nature. Far from being a criticism, Charles intended it as a significant compliment to her tenacity.
The name soon stuck in royal circles. Tungsten is a hard, brittle metal known for having the highest melting point of any known element, making it a powerful metaphor for strength and resilience.
A Term of Endearment and Admiration
A palace source explained the reasoning to the Mail on Sunday, stating, “Prince Charles admires Meghan for her strength and the backbone she gives Harry.”
The source added that the King believed Harry, whom he saw as a bit of a softy, needed a “tungsten-type figure” in his life, and it had become a genuine term of endearment.
This insight into their relationship is further detailed in Katie Nicholl's 2022 book, 'The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown'.
The book reveals that Charles found Meghan to be highly “resilient” and capable of holding her own. He was reportedly so impressed that he labelled her a “breakout star” of the royal family, describing her as “polished, passionate, and funny.”
Other Affectionate Royal Nicknames
This is not the only nickname Meghan has been known by. Prince Harry also uses affectionate names for his wife, which he continues to use to this day as they raise their two children in Montecito, California.
It is believed the Duke often shortens her name to “Meg” or simply “M”. In return, Meghan calls her husband “H”.
Meghan herself shed light on the origin of these initials during an appearance on The Jamie Kern Lima Show earlier this year. She explained that the names “M” and “H” date back to their early dating days when they were trying to keep their burgeoning relationship a secret from the public.
She said, "I couldn't tell anyone who I was dating, and who was keeping [the secret]. So I think we were just on a letter basis.”
The revelation of the 'Tungsten' nickname offers a rare glimpse into the dynamics within the royal family before the Sussexes' departure, highlighting a period of mutual respect and admiration between King Charles and his daughter-in-law.
