Meghan Markle 'had bold marriage plan and William saw right through it,' says expert

One of the closest confidants of the lateQueen Elizabethhas reportedly claimed that the former monarch had serious and long-standing doubts about Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

The late Queen is said to have been very keen on Meghan when she and Harry first got serious, and both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have never spoken about the former monarch in anything other than glowing terms. Harry was always very close with his grandmother, and Meghan has also spoken repeatedly about the high esteem she held the Queen in and the kindness she showed her when she joined the Royal Family.

However, one of the late Queen's cousins - Lady Elizabeth Anson - who was also a close friend of the former monarch, reportedly revealed to Sally Bedell Smith, an author and journalist, that even in the run up to Harry and Meghan's wedding, doubts began to rear their head in royal circles about the bride-to-be.

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The Duke of Sussex was alleged to have been rude to the late Queen in a 10 minute discussion about the wedding, and the former monarch's confidant claims that whilst there was "hope" in royal circles that Meghan was "in love" with Harry, they didn't "quite think" it to be true, adding, "We think she engineered it all."

A royal expert, biographer Phil Dampier, has now told The Sun's Royal Exclusive Show that in his view, these claims are trustworthy because of how close Lady Elizabeth, who died in 2020, was with Queen Elizabeth. The expert added that, in his opinion, this showed that Meghan was using the Royal Family as a "stepping stone" to bigger and brighter things, and that he doesn't believe she ever intended to remain in the UK permanently as a working royal.

"I think, unfortunately, that confirms what I've been saying or thought for the last few years that, sadly, Meghan never really had any intention of staying in the Royal Family," the expert said.

"She saw [it] as a stepping stone getting married to Harry... to new fame and fortune.

"And I think that's what initially Prince William was concerned about. And that's why they fell out. And now we are where we are. But to have this confirmed by somebody so close to the Queen is, is is really dynamite."

Meghan and Harry have both said however that they really tried to make life inside the monarchy work, and that when they announced they wanted to step back as full-time working royals in early 2020, they didn't want to make a full break - instead representing the crown on a part-time basis, and still supporting the Queen where possible, whilst making their own money.

However, the senior royals and their aides deemed this half-in-half-out model to be unworkable, and made a full break from the Sussexes, stripping them of their royal patronages, Harry's honorary military positions, and their 'HRH' styles.

After a protracted battle with the Home Office over the removal of his automatic police security whilst in his home country, Harry has made it clear that he doesn't feel safe bringing his wife and two children to the UK without it.

However, journalist and author Omid Scobie revealed in his book Endgame that Meghan "never really felt at home" in the UK, and that after everything that has gone on, she "never wants to step foot in England again".