It must be tough for Meghan Markle. Imagine being a relatively normal person like her, who ends up a member of the royal family through marriage. It's scary enough moving to a different country and culture with your new spouse, let alone becoming a part of the monarchy. Okay, so you could argue that she was already a celebrity in her own right before marrying Harry, and thus knew about some of the pitfalls that come part and parcel with being famous. But seriously: being a duchess is on a whole other level, and there's a lot of responsibility resting on her shoulders.
Not only that, but she has to actually ingratiate herself with the rest of the royals. That must surely be intimidating, but until now we've all assumed that she's got on well with everybody. However, that hasn't stopped gossipmongers from spreading rumours that her and Prince William's wife, Kate Middleton, have had a falling-out. Is there any truth to this rumour? We don't know for sure, but nevertheless, recently Meghan had some good advice about how to cope with her new role courtesy of former first lady Michelle Obama.
In an interview with British newspaper The Sunday Mirror, Michelle stated: "Like me, Meghan probably never dreamt that she'd have a life like this, and the pressure you feel -- from yourself and from others -- can sometimes feel like a lot. So my biggest piece of advice would be to take some time and don't be in a hurry to do anything. I spent the first few months in the White House mainly worrying about my daughters, making sure they were off to a good start at school and making new friends before I launched into any more ambitious work. I think it's okay -- it's good, even -- to do that."
She added: "What I'd say is that there's so much opportunity to do good with a platform like that -- and I think Meghan can maximize her impact for others, as well her own happiness, if she's doing something that resonates with her personally. In many ways, things are harder for young women today. But what's inspiring to me is that so many of the young women I've met are triumphing in incredible ways."
"Unlike my generation, they're not as held back by the societal belief that girls and boys can't do the same thing They're charging forwards in sports and maths and science and technology. They're speaking up and speaking out, not just in classrooms but in the public arena at a young age. I find great hope in this generation of young women."
It's good to know that Michelle Obama is looking out for Meghan and wants her to do well. From one American to another, it's a real show of confidence. If I were Meghan then I'd definitely listen to her right now.