Meghan Markle thought she would be 'the Beyoncé of UK' after marrying Prince Harry, claims book
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Meghan Markle believed she was "going to be the Beyoncé of the UK" when she married into the Royal Family, claimed a former royal aide in a new book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown. The insider went on to add Duchess of Sussex believed her new status "would give her that kudos".
While discussing about Meghan and Prince Harry's move to the US, the insider told the book author Valentine Low, "What [Meghan] discovered was that there were so many rules that were so ridiculous that she couldn’t even do the things that she could do as a private individual, which is tough within the British monarchy."
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According to extracts from the book published in The Times, the insider said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's departure from the Royal Palace wasn't handled well and called it "incompetent beyond belief". "It just required the decision-makers to sit around a table and say, "OK, what are we going to do about this? What do you need to feel better? And what can we give?'" The source also considered the rival between the royal family and the couple "inevitable" and a functioning relationship with the Duke and Duchess in the fold as an "impossible task."
The source further claimed, "Harry and Meghan felt cornered, misunderstood, and deeply unhappy. If the rest of the institution failed to appreciate that, even if their demands were unreasonable, the departure negotiations were never going to end happily." The royal couple, who is settled in the US, returned to the UK only a few times after giving up on their royal family status. It was the late Queen Elizabeth herself who felt that unless the couple were willing to follow the rules of the royal family, they would "not be allowed to carry out official duties."
The insider further added, "There was a very clear view: you can't be in and out. And if you've got such clarity of view, it's very difficult to say, 'Why don't we go 10 percent this way instead of 20 percent?." The report suggests Prince Harry initially sent an email to his father, King Charles stating their interest to move to the US. However, "a proper family conversation" could not be held till January 29, 2020. This was received badly by the couple, who had hoped to quickly resolve the matter following their request. Later, when King Charles was to organize a private meeting with the Queen, it got canceled as Prince Harry claimed that Meghan was no longer available and had been confused about her diary arrangements.
Many of the courtiers saw the opportunity of a private meeting with the Queen as a chance for Harry to seek the Queen's support first, before having in-depth talks with other royal family members. However, the insider stated, "There was a danger that a private conversation could be interpreted very differently by two people." The royal correspondent also mentioned Meghan's attitude towards the staff. He also alleged that Meghan blasted at a young female member in front of colleagues over a plan she had presented.
The source also explained the requirement for a "positive atmosphere" when it comes to negotiation of how much time the couple would dedicate to official engagements and their private endeavors.
The royal duo had stepped down as working royals in March 2020 and moved to California. Both Archie and Lilibet are brought up in California by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Though they made only a few visits, in 2021 Duke of Sussex visited the country for the unveiling of a statue dedicated to his mother, Princess Diana, at Kensington Palace. However, he was not accompanied by the Duchess of Sussex. In June 2022, Meghan and Prince Harry later returned to celebrate the Queen's platinum jubilee along with their children.
In the initial days of planning to move to California, the Queen wanted all four royal households to work together and seek a permanent solution to deal with the issues of the royal duo. During their recent tour to the UK, the Queen was under medical supervision. Prince Harry then traveled to Balmoral Palace to see his grandmother, however, he arrived after Queen Elizabeth II died.