Prince William reportedly had reservations about Meghan Markle before she married Prince Harry.

In November 2017, Harry and Meghan announced their engagement, later tying the knot in May 2018 in Windsor. Shortly after the announcement, the couple posed for an official photocall outside Kensington Palace, followed by a sit-down interview with the BBC that aired on November 27, 2017.

Years later, Harry revealed that William had expressed unease about the pace of the relationship.

Harry Addresses William’s Concerns

In early 2023, Harry’s memoir Spare was published, giving new insight into his relationship with his family. While promoting the book in an interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby, Harry spoke about how his relatives reacted to Meghan entering the royal world.

He said: “Some of the things that my brother and sister-in-law, some of the way that they were acting or behaving definitely felt to me as though, unfortunately, that stereotyping was causing a bit of a barrier to them really sort of, you know, introducing or welcoming her in.”

Harry added that William never tried to stop the marriage from happening, but the conversation left him puzzled. When asked if William had tried to “dissuade” him, Harry responded:

“No, he never tried to dissuade me from marrying Meghan, but he aired some concerns, very early on and said, you know, this is going to be really hard for you.

“And I still to this day, I don’t truly understand which part of what he was talking about. But maybe, you know, maybe he predicted what the British press’s reaction was going to be.”

He later reflected: “But maybe, you know, maybe he predicted what the British press’s reaction was going to be.”

Claims of Manipulation and a “Stepping Stone”

Earlier this year, royal biographer and commentator Phil Dampier weighed in on William’s worries during an appearance on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive Show. Dampier put forward a more intense interpretation, alleging that Meghan viewed Harry as a vehicle for something bigger.

He claimed that Meghan saw Prince Harry as a “stepping stone”, and suggested that Queen Elizabeth II thought Harry was being influenced in the run-up to the wedding. According to Dampier, those concerns were shared with him by Lady Elizabeth Anson, a cousin and trusted confidante of the late Queen.

Dampier said: “I think, unfortunately, that confirms what I’ve been saying or thought for the last few years that, sadly, Meghan never really had any intention of staying in the royal family.”

“She saw as a stepping stone getting married to Harry to new fame and fortune,” he continued.

“And I think that’s what initially Prince William was concerned about. That’s why they fell out. And now we are where we are. But to have this confirmed by somebody so close to the Queen is really dynamite.”

At the time, Royal Insider reached out to representatives for Kensington Palace and the Sussexes for comment, but no public statement followed.