A new book detailing the inner workings of royal life has shed light on Meghan Markle’s struggles within the monarchy, revealing that palace staff viewed her as a “fighter” who pushed back against tradition.
According to Yes Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, written by royal author Tom Quinn, Meghan felt judged by staff due to her Hollywood background and had difficulty adapting to the rigid customs of royal life.
The book, as quoted by The Times, describes how Meghan resisted the expectations placed upon her, setting her apart from other royal spouses. “Some people can cope with this—Kate Middleton is perhaps the supreme example—but others try to fight back, which is what Meghan clearly did,” Quinn wrote.
He continued by citing a former palace staffer who acknowledged Meghan’s determination. “‘You’ve got to hand it to her,’ a former member of her staff said. ‘She really is a fighter.’” The book highlights that much of Meghan’s difficulty stemmed from the fact that Prince Harry had not fully prepared her for the complexities of royal life before their marriage.
“Harry had spent little time explaining exactly how strange and demanding his family really are,” Quinn claimed, which reportedly left Meghan feeling “constrained by protocol.” Additionally, the book suggests that Meghan’s direct nature did not sit well with some senior royal advisers, particularly those with traditional, aristocratic backgrounds.
“They [the older, public school-educated advisers] really had it in for Meghan and, to be fair to her, she really stood up to them,” the book states. “But, of course, if you make waves in the royal family, the senior royals will always back the courtiers, because in many cases the senior royals have been friends with the courtiers since childhood.”
The revelations provide further insight into the tensions Meghan faced during her time as a working royal, adding to the ongoing discussions about her departure from the monarchy alongside Prince Harry in 2020. While critics argue that Meghan’s resistance to royal traditions created unnecessary conflicts, her supporters see her stance as a testament to her independence and unwillingness to conform to an outdated system.
With the book offering fresh perspectives on her royal journey, Meghan’s time within the palace remains a subject of intrigue and debate, highlighting the deep divide between modern values and centuries-old royal customs.
