The relationship between King Charles III and Meghan Markle is a complicated one, but it didn’t start out that way.
Her royal exit with Prince Harry reportedly challenged the warm friendship the Duchess of Sussex had developed with her father-in-law, and that has resulted in some raw feelings.
Christopher Andersen, author of Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan, told Us Weekly he believes that the royal family “pays attention” to the Sussexes’ interviews and that Charles “feels betrayed” by some of her opinions on life behind palace walls.
The royal expert isn’t criticizing Meghan, though, he argues that she is “justifiably” sharing her story — it’s just that Charles’ feelings are hurt.
“I mean; he really was very fond of her. And I think he’s somewhat bewildered,” Andersen noted while reminding everyone that he stepped in and “walked Meghan up the last half of the aisle” at her wedding when her father, Thomas Markle, was uninvited.
It was a proud moment for Charles, but the fallout from Harry and Meghan stepping down from their senior roles has taken a toll on him.
“I don’t think it threw [Queen Elizabeth] as much as it has thrown at Charles, and understandably so, because this is his son and the daughter-in-law who … [have] said some pretty hurtful things,” added Andersen.
With the couple’s Netflix docuseries just around the corner and Harry’s book now having an official launch date, it’s going to be difficult to heal some of those wounds.
