Meghan Markle: Expert discusses stories 'within days' of wedding

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Royal author Andrew Morton has drawn a striking parallel between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Earl and Countess of Snowdon. The expert claimed Meghan and Harry found it “difficult to accept” that, within the Royal Family, the pecking order is more important than the popularity of individuals.

And so, he said, did late Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones during the Sixties.

Discussing Prince Harry and Meghan’s worldwide popularity, the author of Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, told Express.co.uk: “They are courted by famous people.

“I mean, thousands of people turned out to see them [in New York, during their visit in September].

“I’d be very intrigued to see how many people turned out for a similar visit by, say, Prince Charles and Camilla.” 

Mr Morton, who in 1992 famously penned Diana: In Her Own Words with the help of the late Princess of Wales, also claimed: “They are popular and what they found difficult to accept was that inside the Royal Family it’s not about popularity, it’s about the position.

“Harry was lower down the totem pole, and so too was Meghan.

“They didn’t get the funding they wanted, they felt they didn’t get the support they wanted.

“And it’s exactly the same as what happened with Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. 

“They were the glamorous faces of the Swinging Sixties but inside the Royal Family they were lower down the Queen Mother, the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Princess Anne… they were all part of the main branch of the Royal Family, unlike Margaret and Snowdon.

“It’s a remarkable parallel that Meghan and Harry are the same way.

“Incredibly popular in some sections and quarters of society but lower down the totem pole.”

Express.co.uk contacted representatives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment.  

Prince Harry and Meghan were given the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May 2018 by the Queen as a wedding present.

Despite being new to the Royal Family, Meghan immediately started taking part in engagements and visits, and carried out her first major royal tour abroad alongside Prince Harry in October 2018, attracting huge crowds.

The pair announced their decision to step back as senior royals in January 2020, and officially stepped down as full-time working royals at the end of March that year.

They have since settled down in California and, in the summer of 2020, moved into their new mansion in Montecito, Santa Barbara. 

After becoming financially independent from the Sovereign Grant, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex struck a multi-year deal with Netflix and Spotify to produce exclusive video and audio content for these streaming platforms.

The Sussexes have also taken on other projects, with Meghan investing in the instant super latte brand Clevr Blends and Harry becoming chief impact officer at mental health firm BetterUp.

Prince Harry and Meghan have also joined Ethic, a firm focused on sustainable investing, as impact partners. 

And they continue to back causes close to their heart through their organisation launched in late 2020, Archewell Foundation.

In line with the work he has done as a senior royal, Prince Harry continues to support veterans and Army personnel, in particular those who have suffered visible and invisible wounds, and the protection of the environment.

Among other causes backed by the Duchess, there are gender equality and paid parental leave in the US.     

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