Being Meghan Markle: A Look At Royal Life
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Fresh off their first royal tour together, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, wowed the people of the Pacific in fairy tale fashion.
But what is it really like for the American actress to undertake official duties in support of the queen of England?
"I think it's enormously helpful that she's an actress, which isn't to say she's acting the part," Amanda Bowman of Anglosphere said.
But her former career, experts say, can help her adapt to her new – and very public – position within the royal family.
"They're not just seated in chaise lounge chairs being fanned," etiquette expert Myka Meier added.
The Royal Family, as a whole, carries out as many as 2,000 official engagements a year.
"They console and they're there at moments of great joy. They take the light away from the prime minister… so the burden doesn't fall… on one person as it is with the president," Bowman explained.
It can be exhausting, both mentally and physically, but they have plenty of help.
"There are courtiers… people who spent their lives supporting and helping the royal family," Bowman says.
And servants catering to their every need.
She even has help with her light and natural look. Markle's make-up artist is said to have cemented her "no-makeup -- makeup" look as her signature style.
Public scrutiny can be relentless. Whether it's for Meghan leaving a tag on her dress and wearing open toed shoes - which is said to be a no-no - or Kate choosing an evening gown, the critics called a "Royal Fail."
"That is the burden, but I don't think that anybody within the family takes that sort of thing seriously."
Still, Meghan would have been schooled on the correct way to eat, walk down a flight of stairs, sit, and even hold a handbag.
"At one time, she would wave like this and now we see her do the 'Windsor wave,'" Meier detailed.
Meier teaches a sold out course called the Duchess Effect. It's the exact same protocol Meghan would have undergone.
"You can learn British dining. How to walk in heels. Is it OK to wear sports luxe around to do your errands which the duchesses do?"
While she may not be able to do and say everything she once could, Meghan has tremendous support from Harry and her in-laws.
"They are sharing the burden and they appropriate role is assigned to the appropriate person and they are in it as a team," Bowman explained.
Now that there's a baby on the way, speculation abounds on everything from when he or she will arrive, to what school the child will likely attend.
The Queen, CBS2 has learned, refers to the family as "the firm" and she or course is the CEO.
In addition to converting to the official religion of England, Meghan is said to be in the process of studying to take the test to become a British citizen, solidifying her role within the firm.
