Secret wedding, no title for Archie. True or false?

Despite the drama of many of Meghan’s claims, some were inaccurate, while others only told half the story. Here we sort the fact from the fiction.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s confessional has raised more questions and apparent contradictions that in the coming days may provoke a backlash from Buckingham Palace.

Despite the drama of Meghan’s claims, many were inaccurate. Here we sort the fact from the fiction.

Archie’s title: Meghan claimed Archie was denied a title because he was mixed race.

Fact: Under conventions established more than 100 years ago by George V, the titles of prince and princess are limited to the children and grandchildren of the monarch, and those in the direct line of succession. This is why William and Kate’s children have titles and Archie does not. However when Charles ascends to the throne, Archie will be entitled to become a prince.

After Archie was born, royal sources briefed that the Sussexes didn’t want Archie to have any title, although he was entitled to be an Earl or a Lord, because they wanted him to have a normal private life.

Pre-wedding tears: Meghan claimed Kate made her cry before the wedding

Counter-claim: Meghan said Kate drove her to tears in a row about bridesmaid dresses, but later brought her flowers and apologised.

However, royal sources told The Times the Duchess of Cambridge had left the bridesmaids’ dress fitting in tears. The following day, when she took a bunch of flowers as a peace offering to Nottingham Cottage, Harry and Meghan’s home at the time, Meghan slammed the door in Kate’s face, The Times reports.

The secret wedding: Meghan claimed that three days before their official wedding, the pair were married in private

Fact: Meghan and Harry did have a private ceremony officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury and exchanged vows in the garden of Nottingham Cottage, where they were living at the time. However sources close to the Sussexes and the Archbishop told UK media the ceremony was not legally binding and was merely a personal and private exchange of vows.

Town and Country magazine reports: “Meghan and Harry were not legally married three days before their wedding.

“A source close to them acknowledges this and says Meghan was describing a private exchange of vows in the interview but their legal marriage was on May 19.”

The Times reports the Faculty Office for the Archbishop of Canterbury said on May 14 2018 that the registrar had signed a special marriage licence granting legal permission “for HRH The Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to be married in St George’s Chapel in Windsor”.

This means the vows witnessed by hundreds of guests at Windsor Castle and millions of television viewers on May 19 were the legally binding vows and that the couple were not married at an earlier date.

Harry and Meghan lived at Nottingham Cottage (circled) at the time of their wedding. Picture: Getty Images

Meghan trapped, abandoned: Meghan claimed no one taught her the royal ropes, and her passport, driver’s license and keys were taken away.

Fact: Meghan was not held prisoner by her royal relatives. Royal family members often drive themselves – although Meghan would have been used to driving on the right, not the left-hand side of the road so may have been less confident driving in England. She was also able to travel, and went overseas regularly – including to her ostentatious baby shower in New York. Meghan says she had to google the national anthem herself and no one taught her the rules. However one of the Queen’s trusted members of staff, Samantha Cohen, was seconded to Meghan’s household specifically to show her the ropes.

Meghan’s mental anguish:Meghan said she begged the ‘institution’ for help for her mental health but was denied it.

Doubt: Meghan’s claims were shocking and her description of going on an official engagement during which she wept throughout is heartbreaking. However it is unclear why Meghan, who has access to a litany of Britain’s best medical staff, didn’t seek private help if she was, as she claims, denied it via the royal family.

Meghan claims that at this official engagement at the Royal Albert Hall she burst into tears as soon as the lights went down. Picture: Getty Images.

The money: Harry says he was cut off by his family and has had to survive on his inheritance from his mother, Princess Diana.

Fact: Harry inherited around A$25m from Diana’s estate after death in 1997, but he also has a A$20m inheritance from the Queen Mother who gave him a much larger share than Prince William because he wasn’t to be king.

The couple has also signed mega deals with media companies like Netflix, Spotify and Disney to keep them in the lifestyle to which they desire.