Meghan Markle is said to have impressed King Charles III with how intelligent she was when she first met the Royal Family.
Royal author Robert Jobson believes the Duchess of Sussex "captivated" her now father-in-law with her "intelligence" before the bitter feud that has seen Meghan and Prince Harry move stateside and give up their royal duties.
The author claims the new King welcomed the actress to the family and saw her as being a "breath of fresh air".
However, in recent months both Meghan and her husband Harry have accused the royals of the opposite in TV interviews and the Duke's memoir, Spare.
Talking about Meghan's initial introduction, Robert suggested Charles was impressed by her "work ethic" and charitable acts.
He claimed the King's "warmth" towards the Duchess also was seen to be helping to "soften" the relationship he had with his youngest son.
In his new book, Our King: Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed, Robert said: "Charles was captivated by Meghan's intelligence and vivacious personality.
"He remarked, 'She makes Harry happy. We could not like her more.'"
He went on to say how the King had given his son and daughter-in-law a "helping hand" when it came to planning their big day.
Robert continued: "It helped that Meghan was fascinated by British history and royal history. More so than her husband, who is admittedly not a star pupil when it comes to such matters, and sources said she had been poring over notes as she studied the Commonwealth.
"Charles saw his work ethic and his passion for philanthropy reflected in his new daughter-in-law, who had campaigned to raise awareness of women's issues."
In Meghan and Harry's hit Netflix documentary series, Harry & Meghan, the former Suits star had opened up about the importance of having a keen relationship with her father-in-law after she had struggled to keep a bond with her own dad.
In the series, she said: "Harry's dad is very charming and I said to him 'I've lost my dad in this'. So him as my father-in-law is very important to me."
However, things have since soured and Meghan will not be attending the King's Coronation next month.
It's said that she will stay at home with the children and celebrated her son Prince Archie's fourth birthday.
The solo visit for Harry is expected to be a short one before he returns to America to be with Meghan and their children.
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