A new royal biography claims the late Prince Philip issued a stark warning to Prince Harry before his 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle. According to author Andrew Lownie, Philip allegedly told his grandson in 2017 that “one steps out with actresses, one doesn’t marry them,” after Harry and the former 'Suits' star announced their engagement.
Royal writer Ingrid Seward also reported that Philip was among the first to express concern when the couple began dating, allegedly comparing Markle to Wallis Simpson, the twice-divorced American whose relationship with King Edward VIII led to his abdication in 1936. Biographers say Philip remained skeptical in later years, privately dismissing the couple’s 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview as “madness,” though he believed they should live as they saw fit.
As renewed scrutiny surrounds the couple’s early years, click through the following gallery to revisit the full timeline of Harry and Meghan’s relationship.