Meghan's popularity shows no sign of wavering. Photo / Getty Images
Meghan's popularity shows no sign of wavering. Photo / Getty Images
Right now she's the most popular woman in the world, but what Meghan does next will be the most important test of her marriage.
Meghan Markle is undeniably the most popular woman in the world right now.
Meghan's popularity shows no sign of wavering. Photo / Getty Images
Since her wedding to Prince Harry in May her popularity has only continued to climb, with the former actress proving an even bigger hit with the public than her husband.
Last week, Together, the charity cookbook for Grenfell survivors in which Meghan wrote a foreword, skyrocketed to the top of bestseller lists not just in Britain but across the globe.
But while the admiration for Meghan makes her a force for good, it also creates a unique problem — how will the Duchess of Sussex's popularity effect her marriage?
Unfortunately, the royal family doesn't have a great track record of successful marriages when the wife is more liked than the husband.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana ride in an open top car as they tour Sydney in 1983. Photo / Getty Images
Harry's father Prince Charles grew increasingly jealous of the attention Princess Diana received and made no secret of it during the final years of their marriage.
Queen Elizabeth's cousin Lady Elizabeth Anson told People magazine Charles realised early in his marriage to Diana that he would be in her shadow.
"(Diana) sort of metamorphosed into a very, very elegant blonde beauty," she said. "They did a visit to Wales which was the beginning of, for Prince Charles, realising, 'They've come out to see my wife, they haven't come out to see me.'"
When their marriage eventually broke down, the Princess of Wales' popularity would be seen as the reason why Charles went back to his mistress, Camilla Parker Bowles.
During their separation, Prince Philip wrote to Diana and accused her of not understanding that her role as Charles' wife "involved much more than simply being a hero with the British people".
Diana's popularity caused division in their marriage. Photo / Getty Images
"Can you honestly look into your heart and say that Charles's relationship with Camilla had nothing to do with your behaviour towards him in your marriage?" Philip wrote in another letter.
Meghan's situation is arguably more precarious than Diana because she was already a star in her own right before meeting Harry.
The 37-year-old played popular character Rachel Zane in legal drama Suits and had more than two million followers on social media thanks to her lifestyle blog The Tig.
She can also give Harry a run for her money in the humanitarian stakes, previously working as a Global Ambassador for World Vision in 2016 and giving a speech on gender inequality for International Women's Day for UN Women in 2015 at the organisation's headquarters.
So how will Meghan balance her popularity with her marriage?
According to body language expert Judi James, Meghan has already begun taking subtle steps not to outshine her husband.
Meghan is now often pictured walking slightly behind Harry. Photo / Getty Images
During the weeks after their engagement, Meghan was seen often leading the way when walking and steered their first joint TV interview but since their marriage this has changed, claims Ms James.
Now Meghan is more likely to be seen "allowing herself to be towed along if they're holding hands or standing slightly behind him".
"Once they were married though royal protocol kicked in, while a constant scene-stealing trait from Meghan could have alienated the public and her husband," Ms James told the Daily Mail.
"Unlike his dad, Harry is a loveable royal star with his own strong fan base. He's also served with the military so taking a more compliant role might have caused ego and status problems."
But the litmus test will be Meghan and Harry's tour of Australia next month, a place where the prince has always had a massive fan base.
The real test of Meghan's popularity will be during their Australian tour next month. Photo / Getty Images
It will be interesting to see if crowds jostle for Meghan instead of Harry and whether the Duchess of Sussex will embrace the spotlight or shrink from it.
