King Charles III's Nickname for Meghan Markle Revealed

King Charles III reportedly has a very odd nickname for Meghan Markle. In her book The New Royals, royal expert Katie Nicholl reports that the new monarch calls the former Suits actress "tungsten" as a term of endearment. The nickname came about in Markle's early days as a working member, just ahead of her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.

"Charles reportedly nicknamed his future daughter-in-law 'Tungsten' because of her toughness and resilience," Nicholl wrote in her book, reports Entertainment Tonight. Markle's in-laws noticed this resilience during the Royal Foundation Forum in February 2018, when she joined Harry, Prince William, and William's wife, Kate Middleton. The former actress was the "breakout star" of the four.

"It was, according to one aide, the moment William and Kate, who was heavily pregnant, realized they needed to up their game," Nicholl reports. "The Cambridges had already signaled their intention to be more than 'ornamental royals' and had, along with Harry, made a huge success of their mental health campaign Heads Together."

Markle appeared "polished, passionate, and funny" during the event, using her "TV-honed skills" to make her case. The event was a "wake-up" moment for William and Kate. From that moment on, they "realized that Meghan was very impressive, very confident, and very capable," one source told Nicholl.

Nicholl also reported that Queen Elizabeth II hoped Markle would resolve her issues with her estranged father, Thomas Markle, before her wedding. The Queen was reportedly concerned that Harry never met Thomas before the wedding. Markle and her father never resolved their issues and he did not attend the wedding.

"It was the Queen's feeling that Meghan should sort things out with her father and that Harry should have met Thomas before the wedding, reveals a close family friend," Nicholl reported. "She thought the whole thing could have been better handled. From a practical point, the Queen did what she could for the family's newest member and given Meghan's boots-on-ground approach made sure the new duchess had the support she needed."

Nicholl started work on her book over a year ago. In it, she tries to predict where the royal family will go next, and it seems more relevant now, following the Queen's death in September. During a stop on The Today Show, Nicholl said she also interviewed people close to Queen Elizabeth to understand her impact on the crown. She spoke with the Queen's cousin, the late Lady Elizabeth Anson, and photographer Philip Bonham Carter during her research. Nicholl also reports that Queen Elizabeth did not understand Harry's decision to leave the royal family and live in California.

"The Queen never truly understood why he left and how he could turn his back on duty," Nicholl told Today. "It felt like it had a profound effect on the monarchy. It had an immediate effect on the monarchy. Quite simply, they were two key players down key players who Charles wanted to have a real role for."