Meghan Markle — current queen of my heart and future member of the British royal family — is set to marry Prince Harry tomorrow, living out nearly every young American's fantasy. (I, for one, have been dreaming of marrying a member of the royal family since I saw pics of our strapping, young Harry with the Spice Girls in, like, kindergarten.) Consequently, she's left many a young lady asking herself: How can I follow in Ms. Markle's footsteps? What advice might Meghan give me? Fortunately, we've got answers to those very questions. Behold, five of the greatest love lessons from Meghan Markle.
Pulling from Markle's relationship history, and the various nuggets of wisdom she's shared in interviews over the years, she's clearly gifted us all with the prescription for finding a fairytale romance — one that may or may land your face and wedding details on a set of tea towels. And spoiler alert, friends: It actually begins with knowing and loving yourself, not actively seeking out princes or ethically-sourced engagement rings from Botswana. Oh, and taking a few notes from the Golden Girls doesn't hurt, either.
Below, find five of Meghan Markle's loveliest bits of advice when it comes to loving yourself, loving others, and finding your very own Prince Harry (yes, I'm still on the hunt for mine, in case anyone was wondering).
If you're familiar with Meghan Markle's former lifestyle blog The Tig (it was shut down last April, RIP), you know that she stressed the importance of knowing your worth, practicing self-love, and trusting that — to borrow Markle's own words — "you, my sweet friend, are enough."
It's advice that applies to every facet of life, dating in particular. If you understand and value your own worth, you'll be able to better understand exactly what you need to feel fulfilled and valued in any given relationship (romantic or otherwise).
In the vein of knowing your worth, Markle has also stressed the importance of practicing self-love and self-care. On Valentine's Day a few years back — before the actress had ever crossed paths with Prince Harry — she explained (in a post on The Tig, of course) that she was going to treat herself as her own Valentine that year. "I want to treat myself as well as I treat those dearest to me," she explained. "Because I am my own funny Valentine."
After all, you've got to love and cherish yourself before you can expect anyone else to do the same. Right?
In numerous interviews — including the engagement interview I have watched no fewer than 60 times (not even kidding) — Meghan and Harry have both discussed the importance of nurturing a relationship quietly and privately before jumping into the public eye.
Sure, most of us don't have to worry about the paparazzi stalking down our dates, but there's something to be said about focusing on your relationship in a semi-private setting before going out and flaunting your love to friends and family.
"We’re in love," Markle told Vanity Fair in a 2016 interview. "I’m sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time. This is for us. It’s part of what makes it so special, that it’s just ours."
All right, so, it's safe to assume that most of us won't end up with an actual prince. That said, there's some relief in knowing that Meghan Markle, too, had to kiss a few frogs before finding Harry.
Markle was with film producer Trevor Engelson (the pair was married for two years, and dated for six) before they split due to "irreconcilable differences." She's also rumored to have had a brief fling with celebrity chef Cory Vitiello between getting divorced and meeting Harry. The moral of the story? Patience is a virtue, and it's totally fine to date around a bit before finding ~the one.~
BRB, getting this tattooed across my chest.
As reported by The Daily Mail, Markle posted a snapshot of a fellow (a fellow whose Ginger beard looks suspiciously similar to Prince Harry's, don't you think?) sporting a sweatshirt that reads "Dorothy On The Streets, Blanche In The Sheets" on her now-deleted Instagram back in October 2016.
If you've never caught an episode of Golden Girls, allow me to explain. Dorothy Zbornak's character is a sarcastic, no-nonsense bada*s, while Blanche Devereaux is unabashedly promiscuous and a total go-getter in the dating department ("No one ever, steals a man from Blanche Devereaux!"). So basically, remember to celebrate and own your wit as well as sexuality.
Shout out to Meghan Markle for imparting such golden romantic wisdom to all of us (see what I did there?).
