When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dramtically announced they were quitting their royal roles – one key royal was apparently disappointed with Meghan’s ‘commitment’
It’s no secret that marrying into the royal family comes with a huge level of responsibility and sacrifice, with no modern royal understanding this burden more than the late Prince Philip. Before he became the Duke of Edinburgh when he married Queen Elizabeth in 1947, Philip gave up his birth citizenship, his naval career and even his surname.
As he was happy to live on the sidelines next to the late Queen Elizabeth while he still attended royal events and focused on his own philanthropic efforts, it’s no wonder he expected the same level of dedication from others marrying into the royal family. But according to royal biographer Ingrid Seward, Philip took particular umbrage with Meghan Markle and her unwillingness to fully devote every aspect of her life to the Firm when she married Prince Harry in 2018.
Speaking to Sky News in 2020, Ingrid said: “I think he’s very, very disappointed because I think he feels he gave up his naval career in order to stand by the Queen and help the monarchy.
“And why can’t Meghan just give up her acting career, support her husband and support the monarchy? He just cannot understand why she couldn’t support Harry and help him rather than wanting to have her voice.”
According to Ingrid, after Harry and Meghan announced they wanted to step down as working royals in January 2020 and the late Queen had called a summit in Sandringham to try to resolve the family crisis, Philip opted not to be a part of the talks about the Sussexes’ future outside of the monarchy.
The meeting was attended by the late Queen Elizabeth, Prince Harry, Prince William and the then Prince Charles, while Princess Kate, Camilla and Prince Philip did not attend. Meghan was reportedly outraged that she was unable to go to the meeting as she was in Canada with baby Archie.
Seward claims that the late Duke just wanted to wash his hands of the whole affair, as she said: “Of course, it irritates him hugely. And when they had the Sandringham Summit, Prince Philip was seen leaving the house very swiftly before they all arrived. He simply doesn’t want to get involved any more.”
Philip’s quiet fury over Meghan and Harry’s lack of dedication to the royal family stems from his decades of sacrifices in the name of the Firm. Before marrying Queen Elizabeth, Philip had to renounce his Greek and Danish citizenship to become a fully fledged Brit.
He also changed his full name from Philippos Andreou of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderberg-Glücksburg to Philip Mountbatten, and earned the title Duke of Edinburgh after his wedding to the late Queen.
The Duke also had to leave behind his successful career in the Royal Navy to take up new royal duties as the consort to the late Queen.