The late Queen Elizabeth II did her best to “steer Prince Harry onto the right path”, but Meghan Markle rejected her guidance, according to a former royal insider.
Paul Burrell, who served the royal family for 21 years, told the Express that the late Queen went to great lengths to help guide Harry and Meghan as they navigated royal life during the final years of her reign.
“I think the Queen tried to steer Meghan and Harry on the right path, the path she thought they should take,” Burrell said.
“I thought they would stay within the Royal Family. I didn’t want them to leave either. I thought they were a breath of fresh air, a force for good, and would do great work for the royal family and on behalf of the royal family.”
“But they wanted their independence,” he continued. “And the Queen then tried to broker a deal.”
Burrell claimed that the late monarch was particularly invested in keeping Harry close: “She wanted Harry to stay as close to her as possible. But that couldn’t be because the American in the equation wanted a different solution. Meghan wanted change.”
“The Queen herself tried to bend all the rules for Meghan. She tried to keep her within the fold, knowing that the institution could protect her better than she could be protected in the outside world.”
“She was a very wise woman. She said, if you want to continue your acting work, then that’s fine. Which is unprecedented for a member of the Royal Family.”
The Queen reportedly even suggested that Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, could help Meghan navigate royal life, offering mentorship to ease her transition into the family.
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