In a regal saga that continues to unfold, it appears that Prince Philip held reservations about Meghan Markle long before she stepped onto the world stage as part of the British royal family.

Notably, his concerns reportedly reached the ears of Queen Elizabeth II, according to insights from royal experts who have analyzed the dynamics within the monarchy.

When Meghan first emerged in the spotlight as Prince Harry‘s romantic interest, the royal family embraced her with enthusiasm.

Yet, amid this wave of support, Philip was notably skeptical, choosing to maintain a watchful distance.

His instincts led him to draw parallels between the American actress and Wallis Simpson, a notorious figure from history, who also married into the British royal family, sparking a scandal in the 1930s.

Royal author Ingrid Seward, in her illuminating book “My Mother and I,” elaborates on this intriguing dynamic.

She noted that while the public quickly grew fond of Meghan, Prince Philip’s perception remained markedly different.

He encouraged the Queen to approach the situation with caution, wary of the charms that many others evidently fell for.

Interestingly, it seems that Elizabeth was fully attuned to her husband’s concerns and understood the implications of the comparisons he drew.

In fact, she would later reflect that Prince Harry might have been “too in love” with Meghan, illustrating her awareness of the complexities at play.

Seward also divulged a lesser-known detail about Prince Philip; he had a private nickname for Meghan, a term of reference derived from his inventive analogy with Wallis.

This clever wordplay, however, was not something Philip shared in her presence, maintaining a certain decorum.

Explaining his perspective, Seward remarked that Philip was astute when it came to reading people.

He had an innate ability to glimpse the good in others, yet the similarities between Meghan and Wallis Simpson proved difficult to overlook.

He was particularly struck by the parallels in their stories, hence the moniker “Duchess of Windsor,” cleverly shortened to “DoW” among close circles.

Reflecting on the historical turn of events, it’s essential to note that Edward VIII’s controversial marriage to Wallis Simpson led to a significant abdication crisis in the monarchy.

His choice to marry a twice-divorced American woman cast a long shadow over the royal family, a ghost that lingered on the minds of the Windsors even decades later.

Fast forward to recent years, Harry and Meghan’s decision to withdraw from their royal duties in early 2020 sparked significant debate and speculation.

They made the sunny shores of Montecito, California, their new home, where they now raise their two adorable children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Prince Harry is slated to make a solo visit to the UK for the Invictus Games next month, but Meghan will reportedly remain in California.

This decision likely stems from her concerns about media scrutiny and potential drama that could arise during such an official family event.

Since stepping back, Meghan has made infrequent appearances in the UK.

While she attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, she chose not to participate in King Charles III’s coronation, an event that saw Harry in attendance without her.

Former royal correspondent Charles Rae has speculated that Meghan may never return to the UK, suggesting that she seeks to completely sever ties with the monarchy.

He noted that her understanding of royal dynamics may have been lacking, as she seemed to desire a more prominent role than was realistically available to her.

Furthermore, British commentator Esther Krakue weighed in on the possibility of Meghan joining Harry on his upcoming trip, suggesting that she is purposefully avoiding the UK.

The implications of such a visit—will there be confrontations with Kate Middleton or interactions with the rest of the family?—seem to be driving her decision.

Prince Philip’s Complex Relationship with Meghan Markle: From Early Doubts to Final Thoughts

Early Suspicions and Warning Signs

When Meghan Markle first entered the royal sphere through her relationship with Prince Harry, Prince Philip’s response was notably cautious, despite the initial warmth shown by other members of the royal family.

According to royal expert Ingrid Seward, speaking to GB News, Prince Philip demonstrated remarkable prescience in his early assessment of the situation, drawing concerning parallels between Meghan and another American divorcée who had previously impacted the monarchy – Wallis Simpson.

While the British public and most of the royal family embraced Meghan with “genuine delight,” Philip remained one of the few who maintained a measured distance from the enthusiasm.

His reservations were significant enough that he took the step of warning Queen Elizabeth to exercise caution in her approach to the new relationship.

This warning proved particularly noteworthy given Philip’s generally fair-minded approach to people.

As Seward explained, “Prince Philip was very canny about people and he didn’t always see the bad in them, he tried to see the good in them.”

The parallel Philip drew between Meghan and Wallis Simpson would later prove particularly poignant.

Simpson, who had married King Edward VIII leading to his abdication, represented one of the most significant crises in modern royal history.

Philip’s comparison suggested he feared history might repeat itself in some form – a fear that some would later argue was justified.

Initially, both Philip and Prince Charles maintained what appeared to be a warm relationship with Meghan, though this would change dramatically over time.

The early period was marked by a complex dynamic where public faces showed support while private concerns began to mount.

The Wedding Period Tensions

The lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s 2018 wedding revealed the first significant cracks in what had appeared to be a smooth integration into the royal family.

According to royal insiders, several issues emerged during the wedding preparations that caused tension between Meghan and senior royals, including Queen Elizabeth herself.

One of the most notable incidents involved the royal tiara that Meghan would wear for the ceremony.

Sources indicate that complications arose when the Queen suggested Meghan should rehearse with the chosen tiara.

This situation led to friction with Angela Kelly, the Queen’s dresser, and eventually evolved into what Prince Harry would later describe in his memoir “Spare” as a “tiara incident.”

Harry claimed Kelly had obstructed their access to the tiara, though royal sources suggest the Queen likely sided with Kelly in what was characterized as Harry’s “temper tantrum.”

The wedding dress itself became another point of contention. Sources close to the royal family revealed that Queen Elizabeth had expressed concerns about Meghan’s choice of a Givenchy wedding gown, which she reportedly felt was “too white” for a divorcée.

This traditional view reflected a generational and cultural divide that would continue to manifest in various ways throughout Meghan’s time as a working royal.

The decision to have Prince Charles walk Meghan down the aisle, while touching to many observers, apparently unsettled the Queen.

This break from tradition, necessitated by the absence of Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, marked another departure from royal convention – something that would become a pattern in the years to follow.

The Royal Exit Crisis

The breaking point in Prince Philip’s relationship with the Sussexes came in January 2020, when Harry and Meghan made their shocking announcement via Instagram that they would step back as senior royals.

According to Christopher Andersen’s book “Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry and Meghan,” this moment triggered an intense reaction from the Duke of Edinburgh.

Philip was reportedly “furious, deeply hurt, spitting blood” upon learning of the announcement, particularly because the couple had not consulted any senior royals – including the Queen – before going public.

Despite not being familiar with Instagram as a platform, Philip immediately recognized the severity of this breach of protocol.

According to an aide quoted in Andersen’s book, Philip’s immediate reaction was to exclaim, “this shows a complete lack of respect” as he rushed to inform the Queen of the development.

The situation prompted Philip to make a stark admission to one of his closest aides: “It appears as if, we were wrong about her all along.”

This statement marked a significant shift from the initial cautious acceptance of Meghan into the royal fold.

The senior royals, including Philip, began to view Meghan as a “twenty-first-century Wallis Simpson” – a comparison that had particular weight given the historical context of the abdication crisis.

Prince Charles’s reaction to the announcement was equally dramatic. According to Andersen’s book, Charles’s staff described his response as “frightening.”

In a subsequent phone conversation with Harry, Charles allegedly urged his son to “try and fix this,” highlighting the growing desperation among senior royals to contain the situation.

Post-Exit Developments

Following the Sussexes’ departure from royal duties, Philip’s disappointment manifested in multiple ways.

One particular point of contention was Harry’s brief tenure as Captain General of the Royal Marines – a position Philip had held for 64 years.

As Gyles Brandreth revealed, Philip was especially dismayed that Harry had “barely managed 30 months” in the role.

Despite his disappointment, Philip maintained a nuanced view of the situation.

According to Brandreth, Philip expressed a degree of understanding for Harry’s desire to forge his own path, stating, “People have got to lead their lives as they think best.”

This reflection showed Philip’s ability to balance his institutional concerns with personal empathy for his grandson’s situation.

However, the March 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview with Harry and Meghan proved to be a significant source of distress for Philip.

According to someone close to him, he viewed the interview as “madness” and believed that “no good would come of it.”

This reaction was consistent with his historical view of personal television interviews, as he had expressed similar sentiments about the televised interviews given by Prince Charles and Princess Diana in the 1990s.

The timing of the Oprah interview, which aired while Philip was in hospital, was particularly controversial.

However, Brandreth noted that the timing itself didn’t trouble Philip as much as “the couple’s preoccupation with their own problems and their willingness to talk about them in public.”

Philip’s stance was clear: “Give TV interviews by all means, but don’t talk about yourself.”

Queen Elizabeth’s Perspective

The relationship between Queen Elizabeth and Meghan Markle was far more complex than initially portrayed to the public.

While both Harry and Meghan had publicly praised the Queen – with Harry describing her as a loving grandmother and Meghan characterizing her as “warm and inviting” – recent revelations from palace insiders suggest a significantly strained relationship behind closed doors.

The deterioration of their relationship reached a particularly dramatic point in August 2022, just a month before the Queen’s passing.

According to sources speaking to The Spectator, during an event at Balmoral Castle, the Queen made an unusually harsh comment about Meghan, allegedly referring to her as “evil.”

The source noted that “everybody’s eyebrows hit the ceiling” upon hearing this remark, as it was “out of character for the Queen to use such a word.”

The same source emphasized that this comment came from “the most forgiving woman on earth,” making it all the more significant.

During a small gathering before dinner at Balmoral, the Queen reportedly expressed to a small group that Harry’s marriage to Meghan had become “a complete catastrophe.”

The timing of these comments carried particular weight, as the source noted: “By this point, we all knew the Queen’s health was in decline and she had months left, she seemed regretful about how things had panned out.”

The Queen’s concerns extended beyond Meghan’s role in Harry’s departure from royal duties. She was reportedly troubled by the couple’s demands for a hybrid royal role, which she found “cruel.”

The 2021 CBS interview, where the couple made accusations of racism within the royal family, was said to have deeply hurt her.

The final strain came with the naming of their daughter Lilibet – the Queen’s personal nickname.

While public congratulations were issued, insiders claim the Queen privately viewed this as a breach of trust.

Legacy and Aftermath

The ongoing impact of these events continues to reverberate through the royal family.

Prince Harry’s relationship with the institution remains strained, as evidenced by his limited visits to the UK.

During a recent interview with ITV’s documentary ‘Tabloids On Trial,’ Harry expressed ongoing concerns about safety in the UK, stating, “It’s still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read… It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”

The couple’s post-royal life in Montecito, California, with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, represents a dramatic departure from royal tradition.

Their Netflix docuseries “Harry and Meghan” and various television interviews have continued to strain relationships with the royal family, as they’ve chosen to speak openly about their experiences within the institution.

The situation has created a complex legacy for both Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth, whose final years were marked by this family crisis.

Their different approaches to handling the situation – Philip’s more direct disapproval versus the Queen’s initially more accommodating stance that later hardened – reflect the challenges the monarchy faced in adapting to changing times and expectations.

The parallels that Philip initially drew between Meghan and Wallis Simpson have become part of the historical narrative of this period, though the situations differ in many ways.

While Edward VIII’s abdication was a constitutional crisis, the Sussex situation represents a different kind of challenge to the monarchy – one about modernization, race, mental health, and the institution’s ability to accommodate change while maintaining its traditions.

Today, the royal family continues to navigate the aftermath of these events, with the relationship between the Sussexes and the rest of the family remaining a source of ongoing public interest and speculation.

The legacy of both Philip’s and the Queen’s handling of the situation continues to influence discussions about the future of the monarchy and its ability to adapt to changing times while maintaining its core traditions and protocols.