As Californian TV star Meghan Markle becomes a British princess, is this the dawn of a bright new era for the ancient House of Windsor…or a dangerous, destabilizing step too far?

Sixty-five years after Elizabeth II’s Coronation, and thirty-seven after Diana’s ill-fated nuptials, the House of Windsor is embarking on a momentous marital experiment.

The imminent addition of Meghan Markle of California to the planet’s most illustrious and revered royal lineage has so far been billed as an “olde worlde” celebrity curiosity. But in truth, it’s a historic landmark for the British Crown, marking either a 21st-century renaissance or final proof that the dynasty after Elizabeth may be fated to a slow demise.

Either way, America now has a stake in royal fortunes unprecedented since Wallis Simpson took her divisive first step onto Buckingham Palace’s red carpet.

PATRICK JEPHSON in 2018 marks the thirtieth anniversary of his appointment to the British Royal Household. As private secretary/chief of staff to Princess Diana he witnessed the royal family in some of its least-royal moments, as well as helping to chart the course of Diana’s unique global ascendancy. Now a naturalized US citizen and New York Times bestselling author, in The Meghan Factor he runs a seasoned eye over the media hype and explains to an American readership that all is not what it seems in the world of princes, courtiers, and palace spin doctors.