King Charles reportedly had serious reservations about Prince Harry’s relationship with Meghan Markle ahead of their high-profile 2018 wedding, fearing he would lose his son to the American actress.
Although His Majesty famously walked Meghan down the aisle at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, during her wedding to Harry, royal insiders say the monarch had growing concerns about the long-term impact of the relationship on the royal family dynamic.
Royal author and commentator Petronella Krauke told The Sun, “We know that King Charles said something about him being whipped. We keep hearing things consistently coming out from courtiers and people that are close to the Royal Family.”
Krauke also touched on Queen Elizabeth II’s changing opinion of Meghan, noting that her views evolved over time in a way that mirrored much of the British public’s.
“The Queen’s opinion of Meghan evolved, and it’s much like how the country’s opinion evolved,” Krauke explained. “I think where things went wrong was clearly the cultural clash. I think in some ways Meghan thought she was marrying a billionaire but was marrying a millionaire with like sort of a reduced status.”
The royal expert further suggested that Meghan may not have fully understood the expectations of royal life, or may not have been particularly interested in fulfilling them.
These insights follow years of turmoil and public fallout between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the rest of the royal family. Prince Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California with their then-infant son, Prince Archie.
Since then, the couple has become known for their tell-all interviews and high-profile media appearances, many of which include sharp criticism of royal protocols and allegations of mistreatment. In their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry and Meghan accused unnamed royal family members of racism, including concerns expressed about their son’s skin color before his birth.
The bombshell revelations rocked the monarchy and sparked widespread public debate. The couple now lives in Montecito, California, where they have since welcomed their daughter, Princess Lilibet. Despite their physical and institutional distance from the royal fold, Harry and Meghan continue to play a prominent role in global conversations about the modern monarchy, race, and media scrutiny.
As tensions remain between the Sussexes and Buckingham Palace, King Charles’s early doubts about the match have taken on renewed significance—and appear to reflect deeper divisions within the royal family itself.