Prince William's longstanding skepticism of Meghan Markle's intentions has been confirmed by a posthumous interview with Queen Elizabeth II's cousin, Lady Elizabeth Anson, royal commentator Phil Dampier said, adding that the brothers' rift predated Harry and Meghan's departure from royal duties in 2020.
Dampier stated, "Sadly, Meghan never really had any intention of staying in the royal family," and claimed she viewed marriage to Prince Harry as a "stepping stone" to greater fame and fortune. "That's what initially Prince William was concerned about... but to have this confirmed by somebody so close to the queen is really dynamite," Dampier said in an interview following the release of Anson's remarks on July 1.
Lady Elizabeth Anson, a confidante of Queen Elizabeth II who died in 2020, revealed in an unpublished interview that the Queen was deeply unsettled by Meghan Markle's integration into the royal family. "Meghan could turn into nothing but trouble. She sees things in a different way," Anson said, also claiming that Queen Elizabeth was "really upset" with Prince Harry over wedding arrangements that disregarded protocol.
According to Anson, Harry had written to her about deviating from traditional royal wedding planning, saying the Queen "is content with this." But Anson contradicted the claim: "When I spoke with the queen, she said she is not at all content." She added that the late monarch believed Harry "blew his relationship with his grandmother."
Anson also made unusually blunt remarks about Prince Harry's character. "The problem, bless his heart, is that Harry is neither bright nor strong, and she is both," Anson said, characterizing the Duke of Sussex as "besotted and weak."
The disclosures have reignited public scrutiny of the fractured royal family and Prince Harry's continued isolation. The Duke of Sussex, 40, has been estranged from Prince William, 43, and King Charles III since relinquishing his royal duties and relocating to California with Markle in 2020.
The fallout deepened after the couple's televised interview with Oprah Winfrey, their Netflix docuseries, and Harry's 2023 memoir Spare, which alleged William physically attacked him during a confrontation about Meghan.
Despite these rifts, Harry has periodically expressed interest in reconciliation. In a May 3 interview with the BBC, Harry stated, "There have been so many disagreements, differences, between me and some of my family." He added, "It would be nice to reconcile," though he admitted "some members" of the royal family may "never forgive" him.
Harry cited the issue of personal security as a primary barrier to any reunion, stating that King Charles "won't speak to me because of this security stuff." The prince recently lost a legal battle in the U.K. to restore his government-funded security detail.
