Meghan Markle's Former Advisor Says The Duchess Didn't Want 'Silly' Royal Rules For Her Children

We all know by now that there are plenty of reasons why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Duke and Duchess of Sussex, decided to leave the royal family. Still, it seems like we're always learning new details about why the couple and the rest of the royal family weren't the best fit. In February 2020, just a few days after telling the public that they were expecting their second child, Lilibet, it was announced that Harry and Meghan wouldn't be returning to their roles within the royal family. 

In December 2022, many surprising revelations from Netflix's "Harry & Meghan" docu-series began to make headlines. Among them was Harry's revelation that the couple had miscarried and that he believed that this was a result of the stress caused by the press' relentless pursuit of Meghan. "I believe my wife suffered a miscarriage because of what the Mail did," Harry explained. "I watched the whole thing... Do we absolutely know that the miscarriage was created caused by that? Of course, we don't. [But] bearing in mind the stress that caused the lack of sleep and the timing of the pregnancy, how many weeks in she was, I can say from what I saw, that miscarriage was created by what they were trying to do to her."

It's no wonder, then, that upon becoming pregnant again, the couple strove to prioritize their family's safety. Yet, guarding themselves from the press wasn't the only part of royal life that Meghan Markle wanted to protect her children from.

In a new book by author, Tom Quinn, "Gilded Youth An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family," a former advisor to the royal family spoke about just how deeply the unusual royal rules affected Meghan Markle. "Meghan hated being controlled by royal protocol," the source explained (via the Mirror). They added, "For example ... at Kensington Palace, royals have to announce in advance when they are leaving the palace and where they are going." 

The former advisor discussed that while the royal family considers rules like this to be vital, Meghan finds them "silly." The source continued, "I think Charles agreed with Meghan on many points – he thought much of the protocol was silly, but it is hard to change. William has bought into it, which is why George and Louis and Charlotte are so conventional and look like something out of the 1950s." 

Ultimately, as long as you're a part of the royal family, abiding by the rules is non-negotiable, regardless of how trivial they may seem. "Meghan wants something different from this for her children – she wants American freedom to do and say what you like and go where you like," said the source. It's clear that much of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's move away from royal life was an attempt to give Archie and Lilibet a safer and more down-to-earth upbringing. And, judging by the experiences Harry had growing up in the spotlight, it's easy to see why the couple would want something different for their children.