Ex-Palace Aide Reveals Meghan Markle’s Real Issue with the Royal Family — and the Rule She 'Hated' Most
The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has been candid about feeling suffocated in the UK, in her royal life, as many protocols dictated how she could live her life. Since her move to the US, royal expert Tom Quinn, in his book Yes Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, shared the one rule that bothered Markle the most — having to notify someone of her whereabouts every time she left the property.
As reported by The Mirror, the author quoted a former Kensington Palace staffer. He penned, "Meghan quite rightly hated the fact that when she was in Nottingham Cottage, she had to agree well in advance what time she might leave for an appointment or an event, and she had to make sure she didn't leave at the same time as, or clash in any way with, a more senior royal leaving the palace." The rule was established to prevent a situation where a senior royal could be overshadowed in public, and also for security purposes.
A source shared, "Meghan had plans for her life as a working royal that were not going to be part of a general strategy agreed with the staff – she just wanted to do her own thing. Which is fair enough if you're not a member of a tightly controlled institution, but it was never going to be acceptable that Meghan should outshine Princess Anne, Prince Charles [as he then was] and Elizabeth the Queen." The insider added, "She didn't understand that when you join the royal family, you don't do as you please, you do as you're told."
As reported by the Daily Express, the source explained, "Quite rightly, Elizabeth always had to be the center and focus of everything the royal family did, and I don't think Meghan understood why that had to make her do things she didn't want to do." The book claimed Markle had a romanticized view of royal life before she became a part of it, envisioning a world filled with castles, lavish balls, and endless luxury. According to a royal staffer, she expected a 'billionaire' lifestyle but found herself with a more modest 'millionaire' reality.
Quinn previously had also argued that Markle had earned the nickname 'Duchess of Difficult' during her time at the Palace. However, an unnamed Palace source suggested that Markle’s challenges might have instead stemmed from her previous life back in America, which came with immense freedom as opposed to the deeply traditional and rigid royal institution, Page Six reported. For instance, Markle allegedly couldn’t comprehend why now King Charles was so formal with his mother, the late Queen. The insider claimed that Markle was also affectionately dubbed 'Mystic Meg', given her progressive and new-age outlook on many matters.