Ah, the pomp and circumstance of a royal wedding, filled with reverence, romance, and respect for tradition. Here at 16Personalities, we appreciate a good love story, and as we join the world with bated breath to see Britain’s Prince Harry take American actress Meghan Markle as his bride, we thought we’d use personality theory to provide some insight into the happy couple.
Prince Harry: The Realm’s True Defender
Although he literally grew up in the public eye as Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s youngest son, life in the spotlight has never been easy for Harry. Taking into account his rebellious, “wild child” youth, his self-confessed bouts with depression stemming from the tragic death of his mother, and his amazing transformation upon entering the British Armed Forces, from a “wild child” to a responsible royal family member, Harry seems to have all the traits of a Defender (ISFJ) personality re-emerging from behind the facade of an unbalanced Entertainer (ESFP).
The practical skills and stability gained from his Army Air Corps training helped Harry tap into the key Defender strengths of hard work, attention to everyday details, reliability, and loyalty. All while understanding that, by committing to these qualities, he can support and bolster others.
In the mind of a Defender personality, loyalty and reliability aren’t casually connected – they’re fundamentally linked. In Prince Harry’s case, they’ve led to the creation of a worldwide foundation dedicated to helping his fellow soldiers. Inspired by a 2013 trip to the Warrior Games in the United States, Harry helped create the Invictus Games to support recovery and rehabilitation, as well as promote wider understanding and respect for wounded, injured, and ill servicemen and women around the world. True Defender that he is, Harry now serves as the Games’ patron and spokesperson, and he is an active, hands-on supporter of all its participants.
Read more about The Defender Personality Type
Meghan Markle: A Mediator Sparkling with the Stars
An actress and humanitarian, Meghan Markle seems comfortable with the world wanting to know who she is, because it gives her a platform to share what she stands for. From her turns as a star on such television shows as Suits and Deal or No Deal, to her humanitarian work as a World Vision Global Ambassador, a One Young World Counsellor, and a women’s advocate for the United Nations, Meghan is as creatively diverse as they come. (She’s even worked as a professional calligrapher!)
With her talent for self-expression, revealing her inner depths through her acting and her philanthropic efforts, Meghan seems to be a textbook Mediator (INFP). Comprising just 4% of the population, Mediator personalities are true idealists, always looking for a hint of good in even the worst of people and events, and always searching for ways to make things better. They love symbolism, metaphors, and novelty, and can often sense what those around them need to make their day brighter. For Meghan, this became obvious last December, when she was faced with a dilemma: What do you give the Queen of England for Christmas?
Luckily, Meghan had previously bonded with Her Majesty over their love of dogs. In fact, in a BBC interview, Harry couldn’t help but gush over the fact that his grandmother’s beloved pets loved Meghan from the moment they met her: “The corgis took to you straight away. I’ve spent the last 33 years being barked at. This one walks in, [and] absolutely nothing... Just wagging tails,” he said, pointing to his fiancée. Understanding that there was more to her future grandmother-in-law than tiaras and titles, Mediator Meghan presented her with a stuffed, singing hamster toy as a gift. Her Majesty reportedly roared with laughter, pointing out, “[It] can keep my dogs company!”
Learn more about The Mediator Personality Type
Not Your Average Newlyweds
So, how will this Defender–Mediator couple fare as man and wife? They share many things in common, including an interest in nurturing others and creating positive change in the world. Defenders create a stable environment in which the people who they love can thrive. Mediators support the personal and spiritual growth of others. Both personalities stand firm after they’ve adopted a principle as their own. And, although they develop their principles and ideals in different ways, both hold their values in high regard.
However, Defenders aren’t known for being the most open-minded of personality types, and Mediators are staunchly protective of – and committed to – their ideals. For this royal couple, it may take special effort to acknowledge the merits of each other’s points of view, as well as to support each other’s unique lifestyle choices. It bodes well that we’ve already seen them do this with their wedding preparations:
- Setting a historical precedent, Harry will be the first royal to marry an American divorcée. (His great-great-uncle, King Edward VIII, was forced to abdicate the throne in 1936 to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson.)
- Meghan will reportedly be the first royal bride to make a speech at her own wedding.
- She is also, reportedly, opting to have her mother give her away, as opposed to her father.
- Harry and Meghan are the first royal couple to break with the tradition of having an English fruitcake as their wedding cake. According to the palace, the couple asked pastry chef Claire Ptak, who was raised in California and now owns London-based bakery Violet Cakes, to make a “lemon elderflower cake that will incorporate the bright flavours of spring” rather than the more traditional English fruitcake. It will also feature buttercream and fresh flowers as decoration.
- Harry and Meghan have chosen not to take a spacious apartment within Kensington Palace, like his brother, William and Kate, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, did. Instead, they will live in Harry’s much smaller bachelor pad, Nottingham Cottage, without any housekeeping staff. These royals will vacuum, dust, and do their own laundry!
If these steps seem trivial, consider the fact that in making these choices – and standing by them together – the Defender and Mediator are bucking more than 1,200 years of tradition. That’s no small feat.
Harry and Meghan’s growth and development as a married Defender–Mediator couple won’t just depend on their exploring beyond their comfort zones, but also on the comfort zones of a nation rooted in time-honored history. But with the strengths of Meghan’s Mediator personality – intuition, free-flowing creativity, and humanitarianism – and Harry’s Defender tendency to create a secure, nurturing environment where others can flourish, we see the potential for this royal couple to break down barriers and build great things together.
But don’t just take it from us: Do you think Prince Harry has what it takes to be a Defender as his Grandmother, The Queen, is? Do you view Meghan Markle as a deeply feeling Mediator personality type, or something else? Are they an example of one of the great Diplomat-Sentinel romances? Let us know in the comments below!