Meghan Markle's mom in London for last-minute royal wedding preps

ByShirleen Allicot WPVI logo
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Meghan Markle's mom in London for last-minute royal wedding preps
Shirleen Allicot reports on wedding preps for Meghan Markles's mom.

LONDON, England -- Meghan Markle's mother Doria Ragland has been in London for several days now, helping her daughter with last-minute wedding preps. And that means the 61-year-old social worker and yoga instructor is meeting Prince Harry's relatives for the very first time.

And that includes Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Duke and Duchess William and Kate.

So what is a first meeting with the queen like? Andrew Morton, author of "Meghan: A Hollywood Princess," discussed the first time Meghan met her future grandmother-in-law.

"It was just her," he said. "She entered her private quarter. She dropped a curtsy. There's the sandwiches, the small cakes. But also to test Meghan, the dogs, the corgis."

The corgi test is somewhat famous, as the queen's dogs do not like everyone.

"Those corgis have been footmen," Morton said. "They've bitten butlers, policemen. They adored Meghan, so she passed the corgi test."

As for Ragland, she will need to master all royal traditions, from table manners to drinking tea.

"This trip sees Doria thrust into the royal circle, and she is staying at Kensington Palace with Harry and Meghan," Morton said. "So she has them to help guide her along the way, teach her protocol and, of course, perfect her curtsy."

After divorcing Markle's father, Ragland brought her daughter to the soup kitchens of Los Angeles and impoverished areas in Jamaica, which gave the future princess a desire to volunteer and help others.

"I'm convinced that if Harry had just married a girl from the home country, there wouldn't be this excitement about the wedding and the future of the royal family," Morton said. "I think Meghan's a challenge to the family, but also a change."