Meghan Markle had to make a lot of sacrifices when she married Prince Harry and joined the royal family. When she moved to London, she reportedly lost touch with many of her friends.
Luckily, the Archetypes podcast host made a new circle of friends who supported her during her transition. One of them is George Clooney's wife, Amal Clooney who was once considered more powerful than the royal family.
Here's a closer look at their friendship.
George & Amal Clooney Attended Harry & Meghan's Wedding Without Knowing Them
The Clooneys famously attended Harry and Meghan's wedding on May 19, 2018. However, Princess Diana's ex-roommate, discovered that the actor and the lawyer actually didn't know the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
"There's a story doing the rounds that while Carolyn Bartholomew, Diana’s former flatmate, was waiting for the wedding service to start, she turned to the couple alongside her and asked how they knew Harry or Meghan," Rachel Johnson wrote on her article Sussex Fatigue. "'We don't,' the Clooneys answered brightly."
But after the wedding, the Clooneys started to "have dinners" with Harry and Meghan whom they invited to Villa Oleandra, the actor's mansion on Lake Como.
"We live not too far from one another and we have dinners and stuff and we're friends with them for all the reasons that you're friends with anybody," George said of their friendship in 2019, referencing their home in Sonning, Berkshire which is close to Windsor Castle. "They're just really nice, fun, kind people, they're a very loving couple, and they're going to be great parents."
At one point, the Batman & Robin star was also rumored to be a godfather to Harry and Meghan's firstborn, Archie. "Everybody loves their rumors. It's not true," he later said. He also noted that he and Archie share a birthday. "It's kind of irritating, if you think about it," he joked on Extra. "Cause I've already had to split [my birthday] with Orson Welles, Sigmund Freud, and now this [baby] comes in. I'm moving down the line very quickly."
Amal Clooney Helped Meghan Markle During Her Move To London
In 2019, a source from Kensington Palace told the Evening Standard that Amal helped Meghan acclimate to her new life in London.
"When he started getting serious with Meghan, Harry introduced her to George [Clooney] and Amal, and the couple quickly started hanging out regularly," said the insider. "It was a natural friendship from day one." Another source also said that the two share "many interests" and that the barrister "[helped] Meghan settle into London life."
George has also spoken about the media's treatment of Meghan during her first pregnancy.
"She's a woman who is seven months pregnant, and she has been pursued and vilified and chased in the same way that Diana was and its history repeating itself," he said at that time. "We've seen how that ends." He and Amal also experienced being parents under the prying eyes of tabloids. In 2017, paparazzi stalked them around, trying to get pictures of their twins, Ella and Alexander.
Meghan Markle Leaned On Amal Clooney During Her First Pregnancy
According to sources, Meghan leaned on Amal during her first pregnancy. "Amal has been a wealth of knowledge on so many things and helped Meghan settle in," an insider told E! News. "She's given her advice on celebrity and living in the public eye. They've enjoyed sharing stories of travel and humanitarian causes. They often bounce ideas off of each other."
"Meghan goes to Amal for many things and really trusts her instincts. Amal adores Meghan and is thrilled to see her become a mother," they continued. "They will be living very close to one another and hope to see each other often. They have an understanding and common ground that has really helped Meghan and provided her with support."
Along with Serena Williams, Amal also threw a baby shower for Meghan at that time. It was held at the penthouse of The Mark in New York City, which costs $75,000 per night. The tennis player reportedly picked up the bill. Among the other guests were Meghan's unofficial stylist, Jessica Mulroney; fashion designer, Misha Nonoo; hairstylist Serge Normant; and NBC Universal Cable Entertainment Group chairman, Bonnie Hammer.