Prince Philip was one of the few royals wary of Prince Harry’s relationship with Meghan Markle, and reportedly told his grandson ‘one steps out with actresses, one doesn’t marry them’ when they got engaged
Prince Philip gave Harry a stern warning when he became engaged to Meghan(Image: Getty)
Prince Philip was among the few royals who cautioned Prince Harry about his romance with Meghan Markle, according to experts, delivering a blunt nine-word warning upon their engagement announcement.
In his explosive book entitled, Andrew Lownie revealed that Harry’s grandfather showed less enthusiasm than other family members regarding Meghan’s entry into the Firm.
When the couple announced their wedding plans, Philip allegedly declared: “One steps out with actresses, one doesn’t marry them.”
Harry, 41, proposed after merely 16 months of dating, leaving Royal biographer Ingrid Seward to note that Philip was far from thrilled.
READ MORE: Princess Charlotte could lose her royal title after next major changeREAD MORE: Kate Middleton’s important decision as Prince George’s school is ‘decided’
Her book My Mother and I describes Harry’s grandfather as “one of the very few wary” of Meghan, 44, during the early stages of their romance, reports the Express.
Philip even coined what he considered an amusing nickname for Meghan, referencing Wallis Simpson.
The Duchess of Windsor was an American socialite whom King Edward VIII abdicated to wed, prompting Philip to dub Meghan “DOW”.
Yet Philip wasn’t the only one harboring concerns about Harry’s marriage to Meghan, as Prince William reportedly felt “nervous” about the upcoming nuptials.
Harry’s memoir Spare details his brother’s pre-wedding warnings.
He recalled: “‘It’s too fast’, he’d told me. ‘Too soon. ‘ In fact, he’d actually been pretty discouraging about me even dating Meg.”
Despite the countless warnings, the couple tied the knot in May 2018.
Prince Philip was one of the few royals to caution Prince Harry of his relationship (Image: Getty)
Nevertheless, the Sussexes swiftly stepped back from Royal responsibilities and moved to North America in January 2020, which caused Philip’s disapproval to intensify even more.
Ms Seward revealed Harry’s grandfather was unable to understand why Meghan wouldn’t follow his example; After becoming the Duke of Edinburgh, Philip abandoned his birth citizenship, his naval career and his surname.
In a 2020 interview with Sky News, the Royal expert explained: “I think he’s very, very disappointed because I think he feels he gave up his naval career in order to stand by the Queen and help the monarchy.
“And why can’t Meghan just give up her acting career, support her husband and support the monarchy?”.
“He just cannot understand why she couldn’t support Harry and help him rather than wanting to have her voice.”