Prince William Reportedly Feared Meghan Markle Would Use Royal Marriage As 'Stepping Stone' To 'Fame'
According to a royal biographer, the Prince of Wales suspected that the former actress saw royal life as a stepping stone to fame.
Prince William's alleged concerns echo those of Queen Elizabeth II's cousin and confidante, Lady Elizabeth Anson, who described Meghan Markle as "nothing but trouble" and said the queen was dismayed by protocol breaches before the 2018 wedding.
Royal biographer Phil Dampier has shared that Prince William had early doubts about Meghan Markle's intentions before she officially joined the royal family.
The future king, 43, is said to have been wary of the Duchess of Sussex's motives, suspecting that she may have viewed her marriage to Prince Harry as a path to greater fame rather than a long-term commitment to royal duties.
Speaking to The Sun, Dampier said, "This really reinforces what I've believed for a long time: Meghan never truly intended to stay in the royal family. Marrying Harry seemed more like a launchpad than a lifelong role. William picked up on that early, and it created tension between the brothers."
He continued: "I think, unfortunately, that confirms what I've been saying or thought for the last few years that, sadly, Meghan never really had any intention of staying in the royal family. She saw as a stepping stone getting married to Harry to new fame and fortune. And I think that's what initially Prince William was concerned about."
The biographer added: "That's why they fell out. And now we are where we are. But to have this confirmed by somebody so close to the queen is really dynamite."
Dampier's remarks follow resurfaced comments from Lady Elizabeth Anson, Queen Elizabeth II's late cousin and trusted confidante, who reportedly shared similar concerns about Meghan's entry into the royal fold.
Dampier described Anson's remarks as coming "right from the horse's mouth," calling them "very, very telling."
He emphasized that her insights, given her close relationship with the queen, carried considerable weight.
Anson, who passed away in 2020 at age 79, had long believed Meghan was "nothing but trouble" and claimed the queen was quietly uneasy about Meghan from the beginning.
Royal broadcaster Esther Krakue echoed Dampier's view, pointing out a strong "thread of commonality" in how Meghan was perceived early on by royal insiders.
She also noted that Prince Harry appeared to be heavily influenced by Meghan, stating, "We know that King Charles said something about him being whipped. We keep hearing things consistently coming out from courtiers and people that are close to the royal family."
Krakue also reflected on Queen Elizabeth II's alleged evolving opinion of Meghan.
"Initially, the Queen saw Meghan as a breath of fresh air—bright, articulate, and charismatic," she said. "She was welcomed warmly, just like much of the country welcomed her at first."
The royal broadcaster continued: "The Queen's opinion of Meghan evolved, and it's much like how the country's opinion evolved. And much like the public, I think the queen thought Meghan was a breath of fresh air. Very intelligent, very well-spoken, obviously from her acting background."
According to Krakue, the queen's early optimism began to wane due to an evident cultural clash.
"I think where things went wrong was clearly the cultural clash," she speculated.
The claims about a cultural clash align with posthumously published comments from Lady Anson, who opened up in an interview for the Times of London with royal author Sally Bedell Smith.
During the interview, Anson recalled a key moment of tension ahead of the Sussexes' 2018 wedding.
She said Harry had written to her claiming the queen approved of the couple's decision to have the Archbishop of Canterbury officiate the ceremony at St George's Chapel, without first obtaining permission from the Dean of Windsor.
"[Prince] Harry wrote to me and said they were going another way. He said, 'I am close to my grandmother, and she is content with this,'" Anson recounted to Bedell Smith. "When I spoke with the queen, she said she is not at all content. Meghan could turn into nothing but trouble. She sees things in a different way."
Anson went on to explain that the queen was "dismayed" by Harry's assumption that she could override long-standing protocol.
"Harry seems to think the queen can do what she wants, but she can't. On the religious side, it is the Dean of Windsor's jurisdiction," she reportedly said.
The queen was said to be deeply hurt by the incident. "She said she was really upset. I was shocked when the queen told me this, how she was so saddened," Anson revealed.
After the wedding, Anson claimed that Harry and Meghan began to slowly distance themselves from William and Kate Middleton. Tensions, she noted, were particularly evident between Meghan and Kate.
"Meghan and William, and Kate are not working well," Anson told Bedell Smith. "That is what the queen said, particularly about the two girls. It's worrying that so many people are questioning whether Meghan is right for Harry."
She added: "The problem, bless his heart, is that Harry is neither bright nor strong, and she is both."
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