When Prince William Is King, Meghan Markle's Life Will Change In This Significant Way

All being well, Prince William’s time as King of England (opens in new tab) is a long way off. His grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II (opens in new tab), 92, is still going strong with the immaculate hair and colored suits. Her heir and son Prince Charles (opens in new tab), 69 and next in line to the throne, is also very much alive and well. But, one day in the future, it will be Wills’ turn to become His Majesty, and it’s interesting to consider how the royal family (opens in new tab) will change when the time does come.

As the newlywed Duchess of Sussex (opens in new tab) and an official patron of the Royal Foundation, Meghan Markle already carries a lot of responsibility, having married Prince Harry to become the newest member of the royal family. But, according to a royal expert, her duties will be given an even bigger glow-up once William is on the throne.

Former royal butler Grant Harrold has discussed with the Express (opens in new tab) how, as sister-in-law to the future king, 37-year-old Meghan will find that more is expected of her when William is in charge. Explaining how she will have to further support him in his position, Harrold said: “The Duchess of Sussex will have an important role to develop as one day she will be sister in law to the King. She will take on duties on behalf of the monarch as we see the Royals do today for the Queen. Both royal duchesses have important roles to fulfill. I imagine we will see more of the Duchess of Cambridge as she prepares for her future role as Queen.”

Luckily, the step-up will be no sweat for Meghan, who has been more than happy to throw herself in at the deep end since joining the royal family. Speaking at the Royal Foundation Forum (opens in new tab) back in February with Harry and her in-laws, Kate and William, the Duchess said she was ready to “hit the ground running” with charity work.

“Even if it's doing it quietly behind the scenes, which is what I've focused my energy on thus far,” she said. “Meeting with the right people, meeting with the organizations behind the scenes quietly, learning as much as I can so I can maximize the opportunity we have here to really make an impact.”