REALITY TV
TV
MOVIES
MUSIC
CELEBRITY
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Accuracy & Fairness Corrections & Clarifications Ethics Code Your Ad Choices
© MEAWW All rights reserved
MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Meghan thought she could drive around in a golden coach when she wed Harry, says Princess Margaret's confidante

The former lady-in-waiting and long time acquaintance to the royal family said in an interview: "I think she thought she could drive around in a golden coach. But it’s actually quite boring"
UPDATED MAR 23, 2020
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Getty Images)

Princess Margaret's friend and confidante, Lady Anne Glenconner, 87, has reportedly slammed Meghan Markle for her illusions about marrying into the royal family.

She told The Guardian that she believed Meghan Markle, 38, didn't realize that all members of "The Firm" had to work hard when she married Prince Harry, 35. The former lady-in-waiting told the paper: "I think she thought she could drive around in a golden coach. But it’s actually quite boring."

Meghan and Prince Harry have decided to self-isolate in Canada in their Vancouver Island waterfront mansion after completing their last official round of engagements as working members of the royal family earlier this month. They are also working with "experts" on how to best serve the public during this time, feeling "compelled to help".   

Speaking about Princess Margaret, Glenconner said that even though the princess did so much charity work, she did it "without any photographers, unlike the Princess of Wales". She was also critical about how often Princes William and Harry speak about their mother, saying they “go on about their mother the whole time. I think it’s a bit much.”

Lady Glenconner recently debuted as the author of  'Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown', a memoir, which has become a surprise bestseller. Glenconner’s family has had a rather long relationship with the royal family, giving her a fair idea of the work involved, even when you are a "spare". Glenconner herself was Princess Margaret’s devoted lady-in-waiting till her death in 2002, while her paternal grandmother was Edward VIII’s mistress and her father was equerry to George VI.  

She has written about her time accompanying the rebellious princess in her memoir. She spoke about one time during a holiday that she had delicately pointed out to Princess Margaret that her bathing suit was transparent. “‘Oh Anne,’ she said, somewhat exasperated ‘I don’t care. If [people] want to look, they can look'," Glenconner said in her interview. 

Lady Glenconner grew up living next to Queen Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret at Holkham Hall, which neighboured Sandringham. She was great friends with Margaret, serving as her lady-in-waiting for more than 30 years, and participated in Queen Elizabeth's coronation ceremony. She has also known Prince William and Prince Harry since they were children, even bathing the boys together when they were young.

Her statement about Meghan Markle comes at a time when several royal experts have spoken about Markle's naivete about her role in the royal family. Royal commentator Omid Scobie has said the Duchess, 38, married into the royal family with "unrealistic expectations" of her role, believing it came with "instant popularity". Speaking to another royal expert Victoria Arbiter on the 'Heirpod' podcast, Scobie said Meghan believed there'd be a "honeymoon period" after marrying into the royal family.

Meghan herself has spoken about this in the ITV documentary 'Harry and Meghan: An African Journey', which aired in October last year. In the documentary, Meghan had said she and Harry were barely "surviving" the intense media attention, saying she'd had "no idea" of the pressures she would be dealing with as a royal family member. She had also admitted she was naive not to understand the level of scrutiny she would be under. "I never thought that this would be easy, but I thought it would be fair and that's the part that's really hard to reconcile," she said.

RELATED TOPICS MEGHAN MARKLE
POPULAR ON MEAWW
MORE ON MEAWW