American Princess

Author: Leslie Carroll
Genre: Biography
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 2018
Pages: 256
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: When Prince Harry of Wales took his American girlfriend, Meghan Markle, to have tea with his grandmother the queen, avid royal watchers had a hunch that a royal wedding was not far off. That prediction came true on November 27, 2017, when the gorgeous, glamorous twosome announced their engagement to the world. As they prepare to tie the knot in a stunning ceremony on May 19, 2018, that will be unprecedented in royal history, people are clamoring to know more about the beautiful American who captured Prince Harry's heart.

Born and raised in Los Angeles to a white father of German, English, and Irish descent, and an African American mother whose ancestors had  been enslaved on a Georgia plantation, Meghan has proudly embraced her biracial heritage. In addition to being the star of the popular television series Suits, she is devoted to her humanitarian work - a passion she shares with Harry. Though Meghan was married once before, Prince Harry is a modern royal, and the Windsors have welcomed her into the tight-knit clan they call "The Firm." Even a generation ago, it would have been unthinkable, as well as impermissible, for any member of Great Britain's royal family to consider marrying someone like Meghan. Professional actresses were considered scandalous and barely respectable. And the last time an American divorcee married into the Royal Family, it provoked a constitutional crisis!

In American Princess, Leslie Carroll provides context to Harry and Meghan's romance by leading readers through centuries of Britain's rule-breaking royal marriages, as well as the love matches that were never permitted to make it to the altar; followed by a never-before-seen glimpse into the little-known life of the woman bring the Royal Family into the 21st century, and her dazzling, though thoroughly modern romance with Prince Harry.

Review: This was on display at my library, and I figured I'd give it a try. I knew Harry and Meghan announced their engagement in November 2017, which is also a special month for my husband and I. We met in November (2011), and were married in November (2013). Since our five year anniversary is coming up at the end of this week, I thought this would be a fun read.

I was not impressed with Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, which I read in October, and, if you follow the link you can read my full review. This, however, was cute. In alternating chapters, the author details Harry and Meghan's childhoods and formative years. This was both entertaining and informative.

If there's one criticism, it's that the title is misleading. This isn't just about Meghan, the American Princess.