- Some people might have been surprised by Meghan Markle's difficult experience in the royal family, but her father-in-law, Prince Charles, was reportedly not among them.
- According to royal author Nigel Cawthorne, Charles probably foresaw Meghan having trouble finding her place in the royal family.
- "In truth, however, there wasn’t a lot he could do apart from offering moral support," Cawthorne said of how Charles handled Meghan joining the royal family.
Meghan Markle has definitely not had the easiest time since joining the royal family—and, frankly, that's putting things very, very mildly.
While Meghan may not have realized the extent of the struggles she would face as a member of the royal family, her father-in-law, Prince Charles, may have foreseen some issues for the Duchess of Sussex—at least according to one royal author.
Speaking to The Sun, royal expert Nigel Cawthorne, author of Prince Andrew, Epstein and the Palace, explained that Charles probably saw at least some of Meghan's royal struggles coming.
"I think he [Prince Charles] likes strong women, but in The Firm there is only room for one Queen," Cawthorne said. "I think he foresaw considerable problems ahead for The Firm. Harry and Meghan amplified the popularity of the royal family in the way that Prince Andrew and Fergie did at the time."
Cawthorne reiterated something others in Charles' inner circle have suggested about the royal exit, saying that the heir to the throne probably didn't oppose the move since it was in line with his longtime goal of keeping the monarchy small. The royal author stressed, however, that Charles "genuinely made an attempt to support what Harry and Meghan were looking for as long as it wouldn’t upset other HRH’s."
At the end of the day, Cawthorne doesn't think there's much Charles could have done to prevent the struggles Meghan (and, by extension, his son, Prince Harry) faced in the royal family, even if he did see them coming to a certain extent.
"In truth, however, there wasn’t a lot he could do apart from offering moral support," he added. "He no doubt personally regrets the fact that he won’t see his son and family as much as he otherwise would have. He likes tradition and order."
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