Meghan Markle’s former best friend Jessica Mulroney has paid tribute to her late father-in-law, former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, after his state funeral.
The Canadian stylist, 43, who met the Duchess of Sussex, 42, on the set of Suits in Toronto, shared a collection of tear-jerking photos from the sad event that took place on Saturday.
Taking to Instagram, the mum-of-three, who is married to Brian’s eldest son Ben, said: ‘I consider myself one of the lucky ones… Knowing you meant loving you.
‘Your unique gift of storytelling always makes us laugh. A soothing baritone voice that I could listen to for hours. Not a day went by that your Ben, Brian, John, Ivy and I didn’t feel loved by you.
‘Rest in peace daddy. You were truly unique,” she concluded in her moving social media post.
Jessica Mulroney, from left to right, Miranda Lapham, Mila Mulroney and Theodora Lapham take a moment at the casket of Brian Mulroney, the former Canadian Prime Minister, at St. Patrick’s Basilica in Montreal
One of the images shared by Jessica showed Ben placing his hands on his father’s coffin after giving a talk at the state funeral.
In another image, Jessica’s family sat in Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica before briefly standing near the casket with some of her relatives.
Mulroney, the former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party and Prime Minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993, died on February 29 at the age of 84.
Jessica previously spoke about her special bond with her father-in-law in 2020: ‘Sometimes you win the lottery when it comes to your in-laws. I won it all with this man and his Mila… Proud DIL (daughter-in-law).”
Mr. Mulroney, Canada’s 18th prime minister, died peacefully and surrounded by family at a hospital in Palm Beach, Florida, daughter Caroline Mulroney said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“On behalf of my mother and our family, it is with great sadness that we announce the passing of my father, the Right Honorable Brian Mulroney, the 18th Prime Minister of Canada. He died peacefully, surrounded by family.”
Mr Mulroney is survived by his wife Mila and children Caroline, Nicholas, Mark and Ben.
Mr. Mulroney’s family said last summer that he was improving daily after a heart procedure that followed prostate cancer treatment in early 2023.
Ben Mulroney places his hands on his father’s coffin after giving a talk during the state funeral for former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal
Mr. Mulroney with daughter-in-law Jessica in 2020. Jessica was a close friend of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
Taking to Instagram, the mum-of-three, who is married to Brian’s eldest son Ben, said: ‘I consider myself one of the lucky ones… Knowing you meant loving you.’
Meghan Markle and Jessica Mulroney attend the Equinox Yorkville Dinner held at Kasa Moto in Toronto, Canada on November 23, 2015
A family spokesman said Mr. Mulroney died at a hospital in Palm Beach, Florida, where he was being treated after a recent fall.
Mulroney was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party from 1983 to 1993 and served as prime minister for almost a decade after first being elected in 1984, when he won the largest majority in Canadian history with 211 of 282 seats.
The victory would mark Canada’s first Conservative majority government in 26 years. His government was re-elected in 1988.
Mr. Mulroney started the job with broad support but left with the lowest approval rating in Canadian history.
His Progressive Conservative party suffered a devastating defeat shortly after he left office. But in the years after the loss, prime ministers sought his advice.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement: “Brian Mulroney loved Canada. I was devastated to hear of his passing.
“He never stopped working for Canadians, and he has always strived to make this country an even better place to call home.
“I will never forget the insights he shared with me over the years: he was generous, tireless and incredibly passionate.
Ben Mulroney, son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, kisses his wife Jessica at his father’s state funeral
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with actor Ryan Reynolds at former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s funeral in Montreal
“As we mourn his passing and keep his family and friends in our thoughts, we must also recognize – and celebrate – Mr. Mulroney’s role in building the modern, dynamic and prosperous country we all know today.”
The man known for his charm was a staunch supporter of stronger US-Canada relations. Mr Mulroney pushed for a free trade deal, thanks in no small part to his friendship with US President Ronald Reagan.
His funeral on Saturday was attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ryan Reynolds.
Mr Mulroney’s daughter-in-law, Jessica, was once known as Meghan Markle’s best friend – and they remained very close after the Duchess met Prince Harry and moved to Britain.
However, their friendship appeared to cool in 2020 when Jessica became embroiled in a social media firestorm in which she was accused of demonstrating “white privilege” in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement – and they haven’t been seen together since.
Lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter called out Jessica, who “took offense” to a “generic call to action” post Sasha shared about the Black Lives Matter movement.
Mulroney with her daughter Ivy, Princess Charlotte, Florence of Custem and the Princess of Wales at Meghan and Harry’s 2018 wedding at Windsor Castle
In a follow-up video, Sasha said: ‘What happened next was a series of very problematic behavior and antics (…)
“I am by no means calling Jess a racist, but what I will say is this: she is very aware of her wealth, perceived power and privilege because of the color of her skin and that, my friends, gave her temporary confidence. to provide for my living in writing. A textbook example of white privilege, in my personal opinion.’
Following the blogger’s claims, Jessica issued three public apologies, but she still faced repercussions and was abandoned by numerous television networks.
DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that ABC had cut ties with her, confirming that Jessica would not return to her occasional role as a fashion contributor on Good Morning America.
Canadian TV network CTV also cut ties with the stylist, revealing it would be pulling all episodes of her wedding-themed reality TV show I Do Redo from its platform.
Despite their close relationship, insiders claimed the Duchess had permanently cut ties with Jessica after becoming embroiled in a racing feud with the influencer.
An insider told Page Six that the duo’s relationship was already on the rocks because Meghan felt like Jessica was “trying to turn the friendship into a career.”
“The white privilege row has really given Meghan the excuse she was waiting for to cut Jess off for good,” the source said. “I don’t know what the turning point was, but Jess has been on the run for a while.”
In September 2020, Jessica addressed the rumors of a rift between her and the Duchess of Sussex.
She wrote on her Instagram Stories: ‘I’m going to tell this once and for all. Meghan and I are family. She is the nicest friend and comes to see me every day.’
Six months later, Jessica shared a photo to an Instagram Story of the flowers she received from Meghan on her 41st birthday, writing, “LUCKIEST FRIEND XXXX, THX MM.”
However, the following year it became increasingly clear to fans that the friendship between Meghan and Jessica had soured.
In June 2021, the mother of three posted a cryptic quote to her Instagram Story, saying, “Life changes. You lose love. You lose friends. You lose pieces of yourself that you never thought would be gone.
‘And then, without even realizing it, those pieces come back. New love comes in. Better friends will come. And a stronger, wiser you stares back into the mirror.”
The following year, Jessica posted a photo of a sign that read, “You’re not too sensitive. You’re not overreacting. If it hurts you, it hurts you.”
She captioned the post: “I wish I would have seen this a long time ago. I hope it makes a difference in your day too.’
Since then, Jessica has continued to post cryptic messages on social media, including one in which she told her followers that she is “detachment strong.”