Face of Nation : Prince Philip advised Harry to be careful in his wooing of Meghan, telling him: “One steps out with actresses, one doesn’t marry them”, it is claimed.
Outspoken Philip, 98, is said to have made the remark to his grandson as the pair’s whirlwind romance got serious. But Harry, 34, proposed and tied the knot with the former Suits actress, 37, in May last year.
The Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Edinburgh are known to have a very strong relationship.
Last week, Harry and Meghan’s Instagram account wished “Grandpa” a happy birthday.
Philip was also featured in one of the couple’s first photos of baby Archie, alongside the Queen and Meghan’s mum Doria Ragland, 62.
The Duke was one of the first people to see the new baby, Meghan revealed during a brief interview at her post-birth photocall with Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. “We just bumped into the Duke as we were walking by, which was so nice,” she said.
Philip also made a surprise appearance at their royal wedding, despite recovering from a hip operation at the time.
This would not be the first time he has given advice on marriage. In 1997, he said: “Tolerance is the one essential ingredient. You can take it from me that the Queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance”
His alleged remark about Meghan featured in a Sunday Times Magazine article by Sophie Money-Coutts, daughter of retired private banker Crispin Money-Coutts, 9th Baron Latymer.
The article also alleged that a very senior member of the royal family had taken to calling the Duchess of Sussex “the degree wife, because she’ll only last three years”.
The Sun previously revealed Prince William had been worried about the speed of his brother’s romance. It is claimed that William, 36, asked Harry: “This seems to be moving quickly, are you sure?”
An insider told The Sun that various royals voiced concerns but that “Harry stood up for Meghan very forcibly.”
Royal watchers are now keenly observing conversations around the future of The Royal Foundation, established by William and Harry in 2009 and later expanding to include Kate and Meghan.
With the Cambridge and Sussex split looking increasingly more permanent, speculation is rife Palace aides are quietly co-ordinating Harry and Meghan’s exit from the organisation.
“The foundation’s the one to watch,” a former royal staffer told The Times. “If it doesn’t hold together, that’s a real sign there’s a problem.”
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on Philip’s alleged remarks.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and is published here with permission.
