Why Meghan Markle called Kensington Palace as 'a prison before fleeing to Windsor

Meghan Markle reportedly felt deeply constrained during her time living in Kensington Palace, with a royal expert claiming she once described the experience as “a kind of prison.”

According to royal biographer Tom Quinn, author of Kensington Palace, the former actor's early excitement about royal life quickly faded as she discovered the strict limitations that came with her new role.

Quinn writes that the “initial glamour” surrounding Meghan’s transition into royal life soon “wore off,” leaving her “horrified” at the level of security and routine involved, particularly the requirement to be driven in and out of the palace for official engagements.

Within months of her 2018 wedding, Meghan and Prince Harry relocated to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth II.

The Windsor property underwent a major renovation, with one builder telling Quinn it had been transformed into something resembling a “Californian condo.”

But the move reportedly didn’t please Meghan, who was said to have told aides: "I don't want to retire to rural obscurity."

An insider quoted in Quinn’s book added: "Meghan realised that living there would be like living in the Russian steppe."

They continued, according to MailOnline: "Its remoteness made Kensington seem like the centre of the universe."

The couple initially hoped the Windsor estate would offer greater privacy and distance from the intense media attention.

However, Quinn writes: "As Meghan and Harry quickly discovered, their flight to Windsor did not mean an escape from the world's enquiring eye; instead, it revealed to that world a lack of foresight."

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