Theories About Meghan Markle And Prince Harry That Were Actually True

Prince William and Princess Catherine of Wales might be the royal fan favorites in Great Britain, but the glass castle is showing signs of cracks. On November 30, 2022, William's godmother, Lady Susan Hussey, resigned from her position as an "honorary member" of the royal family after making racist remarks toward Ngozi Fulani, a charity founder who was visiting with the royals. Alleging in a tweet that Hussey "pressed her for information about her nationality, as reported by NBC News, the palace quickly released a statement acknowledging that William's godmother "stepped aside" from her post. Social media quickly weighed in on the latest racially-toned debacle stemming from the royal family, with one overarching sentiment flooding Twitter comment sections: "Maybe people should've listened to Meghan Markle."

It was a shocking day when Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, announced plans to step back from their roles as senior family members. After a fairytale wedding, the allure of the firm lost its charm as Meghan and Harry were subjected to harsh media coverage (Piers Morgan is just the tip of the iceberg). Later telling Oprah that there was no other choice other than to leave Britain, Harry and Meghan have continued to share their side of the story — a Netflix documentary about their time as royals just dropped its trailer as of publication. But what about the myths that have surrounded the couple since day one? As it turns out, some of them are true.

Prince Harry and Prince William were seemingly attached at the hip since day one, and when William married Catherine, Princess of Wales, a publicly beloved royal trio was formed. Naturally, when Meghan Markle came on the scene, many assumed that the Three Musketeers would turn into a fabulous foursome, and the truth was not so kind. As it happens, the myth that William is not a fan of his sister-in-law is true if Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand are to be believed. In their book "Finding Freedom," the journalists and authors detail that William "voiced concerns to aides" early on in Harry's time with Meghan, reportedly worried at the "speed at which Harry's relationship" was moving.

"[William told his brother to] 'take as much time as you need to get to know this girl,' Harry was pissed off," a source told the authors. "Pissed off that his brother would ask such a thing. Some felt it was an overreaction. But then this totally sums them up as people — William, the calm and rational one, and Harry, who can't help but take things far too personally."

With one source telling Scobie and Durand that "Harry could see through William's words. He was being a snob," the schism between the now-Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex — and by extension, her husband — was well and truly formed.

When Meghan Markle first came onto the royal scene, she was a bit of a monopoly. American, a career woman, divorced, mixed race — many looked to her identity alone as the shake-up that the antiquated royal family needed. But as Meghan explained to Oprah Winfrey during their now-infamous interview, the aspects of her life that set her apart from the other members of the firm were ultimately used to keep her at arm's length (via YouTube).

"You came in as an American, you came in as an actress, you came in as a divorcée, you came in as an independent woman, you came in as the first mixed-race person to marry into the family. Did that concern you in being able to fit in? Did you think about that at all?" Oprah asked Meghan during the sit-down.

"I thought about it because they made me think about it," Meghan answered, alluding to the labels that were placed on her from the start.

Reflecting on Meghan's words and relating them to the larger picture is Renée Graham, a columnist for The Boston Globe, who wrote of the interview, "One need not be a royal to recognize the misogynoir — a very distinct hatred of Black women — that Meghan, the daughter of a Black mother and a white father, has faced for years from the British media, public, and, to no one's surprise, members of the royal family."

An extension of Prince William's ire with Meghan Markle is the feud between the royal brothers. What started as whispers of small infractions has blown into a battle of epic proportions, now separated by an ocean and completely different senses of dedication. While William is the direct heir to the throne and behaves as such — putting the crown above all else — Prince Harry has put his mental health and family at the helm, moving to an entirely different country.

Of the bitter feud between the brothers, Andrew Morton — who famously wrote the biography, "Diana: Her True Story: In Her Own Words" — told The Daily Beast that the late royal would be saddened by the state of her sons' relationship, but would encourage Harry's sense of loyalty to his family. "I think Diana would approve of Harry writing this memoir," Morton said of Harry's forthcoming book. "She did it herself, very effectively, so she would entirely approve of Harry speaking out."

Of the brothers' relationship, Morton added, "I very much doubt they will be reconciled. There is a lot of wishful thinking about this. As we saw at the Jubilee, when the time they spent in London was brief to say the least, there was no suggestion of having dinner or lunch or getting the children together. They will go their separate ways, and the longer Harry and Meghan stay in America, the more comfortable they will be there."

While Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding was the celebration of a decade, it wasn't drama-free. There was the entire row between Meghan and Catherine, Princess of Wales, about bridesmaids' dresses — which Meghan debunked in her interview with Oprah, much to Kate's reported ire. But topping off the scandal cake was Meghan's father, Thomas Markle, who made a song and dance about his daughter's royal wedding (via OK!). Staging paparazzi photographs, picturing him buying a suit, and reading a book about Britain turned a distant father-daughter dynamic into an all-out war. When Thomas later excused himself from the wedding, placing blame on his health, then-Prince Charles walked Meghan down the aisle.

Of the relationship between the Duchess of Sussex and her father today, Omid Scobie and Naga Munchetty discussed the status on BBC Breakfast, saying that the two will never see eye to eye. "We know that relationship has really come to an end," Scobie and Munchetty estimated, as noted by Express. "He famously released a private letter that she wrote him to the British papers, and had continued a relationship with them instead of trying to fix the one with her, and I think that's where we leave things today."

Thomas went as far as to express his pursuit of legal options to see his grandchildren, who Harry and Meghan are said to have kept away from him (via Page Six). Any such legal proceedings have since ceased.

When Harry and Meghan told the world that they would leave their roles as senior royals, much attention was paid to their finances. Harry and Meghan insisted that financial independence was their end goal. In their CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry further revealed that his father cut him and Meghan off financially, telling the famed talk show host that it was only thanks to his mother's money that was left to him — which she negotiated during her divorce from then-Prince Charles — that he and Meghan were able to come to the United States and start their new life (via YouTube).

"I've got all my mom left me and without that we would not be able to do this," the Duke of Sussex told Oprah of the roughly $16 million that Diana left her son (via CBS News). "Touching back on when you asked me what my mom would think of this, I think she saw it coming," Harry reflected. "I felt her presence throughout this whole process."

Of engaging in the interview and thinking back to Diana's bitter divorce from Charles, Harry told Oprah, "I'm just really relieved and happy to be sitting here with you, with my wife by my side, because I can't begin to imagine what it must've been like for her to go through this process by herself all those years ago."

In the aftermath of Diana Spencer's tragic and untimely death, much attention was paid to her sons, who were just 15 and 12 at the time. While Prince William was cast as the golden boy and the future king of England, Harry was seen as a bit of a troublemaker, and a string of tabloid scandals — and a very distasteful Halloween costume — got him into quite a lot of trouble. However, what the public saw was just the tip of the iceberg, as Harry told Oprah in their Apple TV+ series, "The Me You Can't See," that his substance abuse problem was far worse than he let on.

"[I was] so angry with what happened to [Diana]," Harry said of his late mother, adding that his years between the ages of 28 and 32 were a string of "nightmares."

"I would probably drink a week's worth in one day on a Friday or a Saturday night," he admitted to the talk show host. "And I would find myself drinking not because I was enjoying it but because I was trying to mask something."

Divulging even further about the severity of his substance abuse problem, Harry — who has spoken more candidly about the death of his mother — admitted on-camera, "I was willing to drink, I was willing to take drugs. I was willing to try and do the things that made me feel less like I was feeling."

For several years, Catherine, Princess of Wales, was the shining star of the royal family and Prince William's popular sidekick. When Meghan Markle came onto the scene, however, dynamics quickly shifted, and the relationship between the two women became a focal point in the media. The bitter feud between William and Harry took center stage, but as it turns out, Meghan and Kate were never that taken by each other. As Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote in their book, "Finding Freedom," the royal women weren't exactly enemies but never found a ton of common ground.

"Meghan would agree with the assessment that the duchesses were not the best of friends," the authors wrote. "Their relationship hadn't progressed much since [Meghan] was Harry's girlfriend." The two journalists further assessed that Kate didn't extend a helping hand to Meghan during her early days as a royal, as the Duchess of Sussex thought she would. As "an outsider to the firm," Meghan was reportedly under the impression that Kate would guide her through the process.

"Meghan was disappointed that she and Kate hadn't bonded over the position they shared, but she wasn't losing sleep over it," Scobie and Durand note, adding that while Kate did send Meghan flowers on her birthday, "Meghan would far rather have had Kate check in on her during the most difficult times with the press."

Titles are a big deal in the royal family, signifying importance, designation, and honor – and are a bit of a sore spot for Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. As many observed in the aftermath of Queen Elizabeth II's death, titles shifted hands. Charles, once the Prince of Wales, became King Charles III and later designated the Wales title to William and his wife, Catherine.

As royal expert Katie Nicholl told the Mirror, Harry and Meghan are entitled to the monikers of prince and princess now that their grandfather is monarch. Though, as many know, Charles has withheld the titles from little Archie and Lilibet, as Harry and Meghan have "tarnished" the monarchy in his eyes.

"We know from their past ventures — looking at Oprah — that they're not afraid to be critical of the institution, that there have been some pretty low blows. But I'm hearing from my sources — and I think this might be at the root of it — that we could be prepared to see the king's ruthless side in all of this," Nicholl explained. "Charles is not going to stand back and let the family or the institution, the reputation of the crown, which is everything to him, be tarnished or indeed trashed, certainly not by members of the royal family. It's no coincidence that we haven't seen titles bestowed on Archie and Lilibet."

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat with Oprah Winfrey for their tell-all, many revelations were uncovered. From racist comments amidst the royal family ranks to the couple's finances and everything in between, Harry and Meghan dropped one bomb after another. But perhaps one of the most jaw-dropping moments came when Meghan said she was suicidal amidst her first pregnancy, telling Oprah that the scrutiny of the press — and a lack of support — brought her to a breaking point.

"I just didn't see a solution," Meghan said. "I would sit up at night, and I was just like, 'I don't understand how all of this is being churned out' — and again I wasn't seeing it — but it's almost worse when you feel it through the expression of my mom or my friends or them calling me crying like, 'Meg, they're not protecting you.' And I realized it was all happening just because I was breathing."

r\Reflecting on her admission as part of "The Me You Can't See," Harry told Oprah the only reason Meghan didn't take her life was that she didn't want him to suffer. "The thing that stopped her from seeing it through was how unfair it would be on me after everything that had happened to my mum and to now be put in a position of losing another woman in my life, with a baby inside of her, our baby," Harry said.

Reports of Meghan "bullying" staff members surfaced in the time leading up to the couple's departure from England for the United States, and while such claims have been labeled as part of a "calculated smear campaign," the impression about the pair has largely stuck.

In the upcoming book, "Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait," author Gyles Brandreth brings a new reality to such whispers, writing in an excerpt published by Express that palace staffers snubbed Harry and Meghan during their time in England.

"Whenever the names of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex come up in court circles, courtiers flinch and change the subject or refer to them as 'persons who live overseas,'" Brandreth asserts. "If Harry and Meghan are mentioned to members of the royal family, they simply smile briefly and say 'we wish them all the best' and nothing else." Countering such a sentiment is Catherine St-Laurent, Harry and Meghan's former chief of staff, who told The Cut that working for the couple was "an incredible experience."

"They are incredibly talented and creative leaders," St-Laurent said. "I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to do that, to be able to be with them on their journey. The time that I spent with them was incredibly fulfilling. I think they have the potential to be very influential leaders in the social-impact space. I look forward to continuing to be a part of that."

One of the biggest theories surrounding Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was not the day-in and day-out media coverage but the different attention received when compared to Prince William and Princess Catherine. Reflecting on the press coverage, Meghan told Oprah during their sit-down (via YouTube), "Not only was I not being protected, but they were willing to lie to protect other members of the family. They weren't willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband. ... They knew it wasn't true. And I thought, Well, if they're not going to kill things like that, then what are we going to do?"

Bringing another layer of complexity to the press coverage is BuzzFeed News' Ellie Hall, who reviewed thousands of articles about the two royal couples spanning from 2018 to 2020. Hall uses a number of examples, one prominent display being the successful killing of a Tatler Magazine story that featured "inaccuracies and false representations" about William and Kate. The clencher in the piece was the detail that Kate had a poster of her husband in her room when she was in her teens, and such a story couldn't stand. But when Harry was called a "race traitor" in an article focusing on his marriage to Meghan, Hall details that the palace refused the request for comment, indicating that such a stark difference in press approach was rampant during Meghan and Harry's time as royals.

When Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, first started dating Prince Harry, she wasn't exactly a young ingenue who had never seen the public gaze before. She was a well-established actress who starred in a popular show. While she certainly wouldn't have been used to the same large crowds that the royal family draws, she had the charisma and character to deal with the press and the public.

Things may have turned sour, but at first, Meghan was a glittering new beacon in the royal landscape that attracted a lot of attention — some thought possibly too much attention. Journalist Michelle Ruiz wrote a piece for Vanity Fair in which she supposed that Meghan and Harry were taking the spotlight away from Princess Catherine and Prince William, which The Firm didn't like.

Harry seemingly confirmed this theory in the couple's Netflix docuseries "Harry and Meghan" when he explained (via Sky News): "The issue is when someone who is marrying in who should be a supporting act is stealing the limelight or doing the job better than the person who was born to do this, that upsets people, it shifts the balance." Both Meghan and Harry felt as though there was some sort of jealousy at play, though of course, Harry's brother has never commented to confirm or deny. It seems likely the future king will never break his silence on the matter.

As the media storm around the couple progressed and the relationship between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the press worsened, many wondered why the royal family wasn't stepping in to try and placate the situation further. After all, the House of Windsor has been known to have a close-knit (though complex) relationship with the press, so why didn't the two people with the most power aside from Queen Elizabeth II step in? Why weren't Harry's father, King Charles III, and his older brother, Prince William, taking a stand?

In 2021, reports began to surface that suggested the palace was busy trying to throw the press off of the scent of an alleged affair between Prince William and Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, a close friend of his and Princess Catherine's. Rumors first began to swirl of this intimate connection back in 2019 but were reportedly squashed when Prince William threatened outlets with legal action.

The theory that Charles, William, and the rest of the palace wouldn't — rather than couldn't — do anything to help Meghan was backed up by Harry's claim in the docuseries that his father told him (via Sky News): "Darling boy you can't take on the media, the media will always be the media." As for his brother, Harry stated that William had been disloyal by choosing to trade stories with the press, something they had always promised not to do to each other.

One of the saddest things about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's story is arguably the turmoil it has caused between Harry and his oldest brother, Prince William. The pair were always considered to be close, supporting each other through their shared trauma of losing a mother so young. In August 2022, a French documentary called "Red Line: William and Harry, the Enemy Brothers" shared details of a fight between the siblings.

"William, who already didn't like his sister-in-law very much, became furious," explained Pierrick Geais, a royal biographer, during an interview in the documentary (via Marie Claire). "He called Harry directly, and Harry slammed the phone down. Harry didn't want to know anything, and so William jumped in a car towards Kensington Palace, where he was going to confront Prince Harry."

These revelations left many wondering if they ever actually came to blows over Meghan. Harry revealed all in his memoir, explaining that during a confrontation at his Kensington Palace home, things got very dicey (via The Guardian): "He set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dog's bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out."

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement, there was a lot of excitement in Britain. Royal weddings are always cause for celebration, with Princess Catherine and Prince William's nuptials seeing thousands of well-wishers line the streets, as well as millions of people around the world tune in to watch. There was a lot of buzz around Meghan and Harry's wedding, too, but not all of it was positive. 

Toward the end of 2018, after the wedding had taken place, rumors started to run rampant that Princess Catherine and Meghan had fallen out during the wedding preparations. Everyone from the Independent to People and The Sun ran stories on what could have happened, with sources pointing toward a disagreement over Princess Charlotte's flower girl dress. Meghan later explained what really happened in an interview with Oprah, confirming that there was an argument, before going into further detail during the "Harry and Meghan" Netflix series. 

However, while reports suggested it was Meghan who made Catherine cry, Meghan alleged it was the other way around. The couple said that Catherine apologized with flowers, but there was also another argument prior to the wedding. In his memoir, Harry explained that Meghan suggested Catherine had "baby brain" during a phone call, which the princess did not take kindly. According to Harry, William got involved and scolded Meghan, even going so far as to point a finger at her.