In an episode of the podcast Pod Save The Queen, the royal author Tom Quinn returned this Thursday, March 18, on the first moments of Meghan Markle in the British royal family. For the specialist, the young woman quickly realized the disadvantages.
If integrating the very closed circle of the British monarchy makes more than one dream, the reality seems quite different from what the crown can make believe. For Tom Quinn, a writer specializing in the British royal family, Meghan Markle has experienced this bitterly. In an episode of the podcast Pod Save The Queen, aired this Thursday, March 18, the specialist felt that the Duchess of Sussex quickly realized that she did not have the “leading role” at Buckingham Palace. In fact, her first moments with the family of Prince Harry had nothing to do with a fairy tale. “She realized that she was just a small cog in this big machine, that she could not do what she wanted,” analyzed Tom Quinn, who described “a gilded cage,” as reported in the Daily Express.
The author of the biography Kensington Palace: An Intimate Memoir from Queen Mary to Meghan Markle drew a parallel with Catherine Middleton, considered the real person at the center of attention through her marriage to a direct heir to the throne, Prince William. “The main role is Catherine’s, and no matter how hard Meghan worked to be a princess, she will always be number two, so to speak, or even lower,” he added. For years, there have been rumors of a contentious relationship between the two wives, including a fight that occurred in 2018.
A difficult adjustment to royal life
But, according to Tom Quinn, the biggest difficulty for Meghan Markle, who came straight from the United States, is her lack of understanding of British culture, unlike the Duchess of Cambridge. As proof, Prince Harry’s wife had revealed that she was surprised to have to curtsy during her first meeting with Queen Elizabeth II, thinking that it was only a tradition performed in front of the public.
During their highly anticipated interview with Oprah Winfrey, which aired on March 7, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry confided that they felt trapped by the monarchy. Aside from comments about her son Archie’s potential skin color, the Duchess of Sussex explained that she had received little help from Buckingham Palace in adjusting to life at the palace.
“Unlike what you see in the movies, there are no classes on how to speak, how to cross your legs, how to be royal,” she had launched during the interview. Tom Quinn says that this lack of information on protocol and media pressure have complicated the task of Meghan Markle. Enough to push the couple, now settled in California, to give up their royal titles and live far from the bustle of Buckingham Palace.
Photo credits: EXPRESS SYNDICATION / BESTIMAGE
