Why Meghan Markle is still waiting to become a British citizen

The Duchess of Sussex first applied for citizenship two years ago

It's safe to say that Meghan Markle is well and truly settled in the UK. She and her husband Prince Harry now have a family home in Frogmore Cottage, Windsor, where they're raising their first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Prince Harry was recently spotted dropping his son off at playgroup before cracking this hilarious joke, and the Queen has been making frequent visits to the couple lately at Frogmore.

Although she's been married to a prince for a year and a half, Meghan Markle is actually still waiting to become a British citizen.

Surprised that it's taking this long for a member of the royal family? There's a pretty good explanation behind it all.

This might come as a surprise to many, but it's actually because the Duchess of Sussex is being treated like any other member of the public. Despite her royal status, she is not receiving any special treatment.

Kensington Palace confirmed in 2017 that the duchess would be treated like anyone else, with Prince Harry's communications secretary Jason Knauf confirming she would be 'compliant with immigration requirements at all times'.

He added: 'I can also say she intends to become a UK citizen and will go through the process of that, which some of you may know takes a number of years.'

And it appears that process is still very much ongoing.

'Meghan is not yet a British citizen,' a friend of the duchess told the Daily Mail. 'It might seem extraordinary, given that she's been married to the Queen's grandson for 18 months, but she accepts that it's a slow process.'

So, that's that.