5 Significant Things We Learned About Meghan Markle, Straight From Her Friends

Meghan Markle has recently been the subject of multiple reports suggesting she's "difficult" and "demanding," and her friends are finally taking a stand and "speaking the truth" about their beloved pal. In a new interview with People, five women who are an integral part of the Duchess of Sussex's inner circle talked to the magazine in an effort to "stand up against the global bullying we are seeing." The ladies requested to remain anonymous to protect their private relationships, and they talked about everything from Meghan's relationship with her dad to what her life at Kensington Palace is like. Here is everything we learned about Meghan from her friends:

  1. Meghan and Harry live a cozy life at Nottingham Cottage. "We've all been to their cottage," one of the women said. "It's small and she's made it cozy, but the perception of their lifestyle and the reality are two different things. Meg cooks for herself and Harry every single day." Another pal recalled visiting the cottage, adding, "We had a couple of days together recently. Her husband was out of town on work. In the room she made up for me, there was a candle lit by the bed, slippers, and a robe. We were the only two in the house. It was our time. She made the most lovely meals. She made tea every day."
  2. She's still the same old Meg. The same friend who recently visited Meghan from LA said that nothing about her has changed. "It was raining and muddy outside, so the dogs got all dirty, and she's wiping them off with towels," she explained. "How much she loves her animals, how much she loves her friends, how much she loves feeding you, taking care of you — none of that has changed." Another friend added, "When you see her at walkabouts, when she crouches down to talk to the kids and genuinely has real conversations with people, that's Meg. That's how she crouches down with our kids at home. That's how she plays with them. That's how she engages with people and how she always has."
  3. Meghan's relationships with her half-sister, Samantha, and half-brother, Thomas Jr., were strained long before she became a royal. "They have been made to appear as siblings who had this falling out, and that's not the truth at all," one of the pals explained. "They were not a part of her life."
  4. Despite her father Thomas Markle's claims, it isn't true that Meghan won't speak to him. "He knows how to get in touch with her," one of the women said. "He's never called; he's never texted. It's super painful."
  5. Anyone would be lucky to have her as a friend. In addition to being a "selfless" friend who writes thank-you notes, Meghan is "the best listener" and gives great advice. "If I'm thrown some kind of curveball, I always think, 'I gotta talk to Meg,'" a former colleague said. "We talk daily. And the first thing out of her mouth is, 'How are the kids? How are you?' I'm not even allowed to ask about her until she finds out about me."