Prince Phillip's brutal reaction to Harry and Meghan's engagement
Prince Philip was "very wary" when Prince Harry started his relationship with Meghan Markle(Image: Getty Images)When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement eight years ago today, Harry’s grandfather Prince Phillip had a very unexpected reaction to the couple’s happy news.After just a year and a half of dating, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were engaged on November 27 2018, sharing the news in a tell-all interview in which Meghan showed off her impressive diamond ring. Despite the delighted reaction from royal fans and commentators alike, there was one person who was less than pleased with the news and issued a warning to Harry ahead of the nuptials: his grandfather Prince Phillip.READ MORE: Meghan Markle's royal claim debunked after candid Kate admissionREAD MORE: Why William and Kate will keep George’s secondary school secret until ‘11th hour’Prince Harry prompted a harsh reaction from his grandfather Prince Philip when he announced his engagement (Image: Getty Images)According to royal biographer Andrew Lownie, Prince Philip is said to have warned his grandson: "One steps out with actresses, one doesn't marry them."The royal expert wrote: "The Duke of Edinburgh apparently also chipped in – 'One steps out with actresses, one doesn't marry them,' he is said to have advised his grandson. Idle dinner party gossip, perhaps, although it does sound like a Prince Philip bon mot."Despite his apparent disapproval, the late Prince Phillip attended the couple’s nuptials alongside Queen Elizabeth in St Georges’ Chapel in Windsor on May 19 2018.Royal biographer Ingrid Seward also said that Philip was less than impressed with Meghan Markle. In her book, My Mother and I, Harry’s grandfather was “one of the very few wary” of the Duchess during the start of the couple’s relationship. Philip also bestowed what he thought to be a humorous nickname of Meghan after Wallis Simpson.Prince Philip was allegedly "very wary" of Meghan Markle and warned Harry not to marry her(Image: Getty Images)The Duchess of Windsor was an American socialite who King Edward VIII abdicated to marry, therefore Philip named Meghan “DOW”.Prince Phillip’s disapproval of Meghan only intensified after the Sussexes quit their royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California. Ingrid Seward revealed Harry's grandfather was unable to understand why Meghan wouldn't follow his example, as after becoming the Duke of Edinburgh, Philip abandoned his birth citizenship, his naval career and his surname.In a 2020 interview with Sky News, the royal expert explained: "I think he's very, very disappointed because I think he feels he gave up his naval career in order to stand by the Queen and help the monarchy."And why can't Meghan just give up her acting career, support her husband and support the monarchy? He just cannot understand why she couldn't support Harry and help him rather than wanting to have her voice.”Despite his apparent disapproval, Prince Phillip attended the couple’s nuptials in 2018(Image: Getty Images)Prince Phillip was not the only one allegedly concerned about the speed at which Harry and Meghan got engaged, with the Duke of Sussex writing in his memoir Spare that his brother Prince William shared similar concerns and was “nervous” about their union.In his autobiography, Harry wrote: “‘It's too fast’, he'd told me. ‘Too soon’. In fact, he'd actually been pretty discouraging about me even dating Meg.”Get the inside scoop on the monarchy with Mirror RoyalWHATSAPP GROUP: Be first to get the biggest royal bombshells and exclusives to your phone by joining our Royal WhatsApp here.We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.NEWSLETTER: Or sign up to the Mirror's Royal newsletter here to get all the biggest royal news and exclusive pictures, straight to your inbox.
