Harry & Meghan

What Prince Harry Has Reportedly Given Up for Meghan Markle

Meanwhile, Markle may have made a new high-profile friend.
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By Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images.

Any successful relationship is built, in some part, on compromise and sacrifice. To varying degrees, everyone finds themselves giving up some component of their previous behaviors in order to make things work. And Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, it would seem, are no different. There are some compromises the two have made that we already know a lot about: Markle is moving to a different continent and changing her citizenship, for one (major) thing. She also has stopped Instagramming, and is giving up her acting career—though we don’t know enough to know how much the relationship with Harry had to do with those decisions.

What has Harry had to give up? Per the Mail on Sunday, the prince has kicked an unhealthy habit as a result of the new relationship: yes, Harry has reportedly quit smoking. Now, smoking was officially banned at the palace—and at Nottingham Cottage, where Harry and Meghan live—but Harry was known to “relax the rules” from time to time. (A quick Google search for “Prince Harry + smoking” provides a variety of visual evidence that he enjoyed a cigarette on occasion over the years.)

The source told the outlet that the newly engaged prince has ditched the cartons: “Harry has promised no smoking at all at home. It’s not nice for Meghan as a non-smoker. So there’s no more hanging out of the window for a quick puff. Harry has quit for Meghan.” (We really appreciate the visual here of Harry lurching out of a window, puffing away contemplatively as some sort of intimate, cheerful dinner party takes place behind him in the cottage.)

Meanwhile, The Sun is reporting that Markle—who has not been seen in public since her first post-engagement appearance with Harry on December 1—is becoming close to Victoria Beckham, after the two “met up in secret” following Markle’s move to London. Beckham has reportedly been giving Markle advice on beauty and hair salons (“Meghan has been really pleased with Victoria’s beauty recommendations and has her to thank for meeting new friends in London”). The Beckhams of course were in attendance at Kate and William’s wedding, so perhaps the couple helped make the connection between Meghan and Victoria (it’s fun to imagine Kate sending one of those awkward intro e-mails to the two women where you try to briefly describe both individuals: “Meghan, you might know Victoria from her music career (“Spice Up Your Life” anyone?!?! ), or perhaps from her fashion endeavors, or presence in those pesky tabloids! And Victoria, you . . .”)