Britain’s King Charles III fondly referred to Meghan Markle as “Tungsten,” according to a new book.
The moniker paid tribute to the Duchess of Sussex’s “toughness and resilience,” Vanity Fair royal editor Katie Nicholl wrote in “The New Royals” out this week.
ET Online shared excerpts from the book on Tuesday.
The then-Prince Charles’ complimentary likening of Markle to the rare, metallic element ― which is one of the toughest items found in nature ― came before her 2018 wedding to his son Prince Harry.
Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step down as senior royals two years later, sparking a rift in the family.
The split “exhausted” the late Queen Elizabeth II, per Nicholls in the book.
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“Privately the Queen confided to a close friend that she was exhausted by the turmoil of it all,” she wrote. “She was very hurt and told me, ‘I don’t know, I don’t care, and I don’t want to think about it anymore.’”