This week, Meghan Markle delivered her first solo speech as a royal, but there was an even more auspicious royal first going on at the event. Meghan was accompanied to the event, a a celebration for her charity cookbook, Together: Our Community Cookbook, by her husband, Prince Harry, and her mom, Doria Ragland, who casually introduced herself to people as "Meg's mom."
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We measly commoners are like, "NBD. Mom's like to come to stuff," but to the royal family, this is a huge deal. The families of people who marry into the royal fam are welcomed at big events, like weddings and christenings, but they don't tag along for royal engagements. It just is not done.
Take Kate Middleton's family, for example. They make appearances at the above-mentioned in-law friendly events, and they reportedly have strong relationships with the royals behind-the-scenes, but they don't just show up to watch Kate give speeches.
The fact that Doria was welcomed along at the celebration is a testament to her role in the royal family and the royals' dedication to making Meghan feel as comfortable as possible as a new member of the Windsor clan.
The royal family's love of Meghan is well-documented. The Queen loves her and Prince Charles has reportedly gone so far as to call her the best thing to ever happen to Harry. By all accounts, the warm fuzzies extend to Doria as well.
"When you meet Doria, it all falls in place. You understand why Meghan is who she is," a courtier (yeah, they still have those) told Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl.
Even though extended in-laws usually stay out of the public eye when it comes to official royal business, the Queen is making a big exception for Doria (and for Meghan).
"The Queen knows it’s a big transition for Meghan and she wants it to be a success," a source told Vanity Fair. "That means making sure Meghan feels supported and happy, and including her mother."
Meghan might be feeling very supported in the not-to0-distant future. Rumors that Doria is planning a move to the UK have been building steam for months and Vanity Fair's source says the Sussexes are actively talking about a plan to have Doria, who is based in Los Angeles, in the UK at least part of the year.
“Doria is very close to her daughter, and she has made several secret trips to England," the VF source explained. "She has been to Meghan and Harry’s home in the Cotswolds several times and she has stayed with them at Nottingham Cottage. Meghan is very close to her mum. They speak on the phone pretty much every day and they are talking about Doria getting a place in the U.K. so that she can spend part of the year over here."
[H/T Vanity Fair]