Seward: Prince Philip was reminded of Wallis Simpson when he met Meghan Markle

9 months ago 40

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Royal biographer Ingrid Seward has a new book out called My Mother And I, which is not about C-Word’s own relationship with her mother. The “my” in this case is C-Word assuming King Charles’s voice, and the book is supposedly a description of Charles and QEII’s relationship. Why then are the first excerpts all about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex? Wait, don’t tell me, I know. Much like Robert Hardman’s recent royal biography, it looks like King Charles’s court is full of busy little bees, dropping all kinds of revisionist history to royal biographers these days. Hardman’s book led to a weeks-long mess where Hardman had to rollback his bizarre claims that QEII was incandescent with rage over her great-granddaughter’s name (Princess Lilibet). Will C-Word have to roll back claims that Prince Philip hated Meghan on-sight and that QEII was judgmental about Meghan’s wedding gown?

From their very first meeting, over tea at Buckingham Palace, the Queen approved of Meghan Markle. Not only did she like her, she had high hopes for what the American actress might be able to achieve with Harry for the youth of the Commonwealth. Soon the country as a whole seemed to take to Meghan with equally genuine delight. One of the few wary of succumbing to her charm offensive, however, was Prince Philip. While the Queen continued to champion Harry’s new love, he warned his wife to be cautious. It was uncanny, he told her, how much Meghan reminded him of the Duchess of Windsor.

He wasn’t simply referring to the fact that both were pencil-slim, dark-haired and glamorous American divorcees. There was a wealth of subtext in his barbed remark. As one who had lived through this tumultuous period of royal history, and been directly affected by it, Queen Elizabeth II was perfectly aware what Philip meant when he drew parallels between Meghan and Wallis. Indeed, much later, she would remark in her clipped way that perhaps Harry had been ‘too in love’ with the American actress.

As for Prince Philip, he never appeared to change his mind about Meghan. From the moment he detected her apparent similarity to Wallis, he referred to her as DoW (short for Duchess of Windsor).

Queen Elizabeth II never voiced her true opinion about Harry’s wife except to her very closest confidantes, such as Lady Elizabeth Anson, or Liza as she was known to her friends. A cousin of the Queen, she used to speak on the telephone to the monarch on a daily basis. Lady Elizabeth told me that the Queen had made only one remark to her about Meghan and Harry’s wedding, which was that the bride’s Givenchy wedding gown was ‘too white’. In the monarch’s view, it was not appropriate for a divorcee getting remarried in church to look quite so flamboyantly virginal.

Nor was the Queen comfortable with the Prince of Wales’s decision to stand in for Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, and walk her down the aisle. She was also concerned about 96-year-old Prince Philip’s decision to hobble down the aisle without a stick, despite having had a hip replacement just five weeks before.

Then there was the service itself. Like many others in the congregation, she was startled by the impassioned outpourings of the American Archbishop Michael Curry, who spoke for more than 14 minutes. Both the Queen and Prince Philip, who hate long sermons, were desperate for him to finish. They must also have been aware that some of those around them were stifling their laughter. One can only speculate about what they thought when Curry, who admitted he didn’t know either Harry or Meghan, later said he’d felt the presence of the slaves from whom he was descended in the chapel, which he felt to be a ‘sign of hope’.

[From The Daily Mail]

This is most likely going to end up just like Robert Hardman’s Lilibet claims – a week of outrage, a week of “of course Philip was brilliant for hating a Black woman as soon as he saw her,” a week of “it was just awful for Harry and Meghan to invite a Black archbishop to church,” a week of “how dare Meghan wear white at her wedding,” and then C-Word will start rolling back all of these claims. You know why? Because King Charles’s biographers keep making QEII and Philip look horrible. The aim is to wound Harry and Meghan, to insult them, to belittle them, but they don’t have any ammo other than “Harry’s beloved grandparents hated his wife!!”

Also: the old-guard royalists have been trying to make “Meghan is the new Wallis Simpson” for almost eight years. They’ve yet to come up with one compelling reason why Meghan and Wallis are in any way alike (other than they’re both American and have dark hair, which was apparently enough for Philip). Anyway, I believed Meghan when she said she was cool with QEII and Philip. Philip was largely absent from family and palace life at that point, so Meghan probably only met him a handful of times anyway. And let’s be honest, Philip was in no condition to suddenly decide to beef with Harry’s bride.

Remember that stupid story about the Rolls Royce used by Doria and Meghan for H&M’s wedding? It transported Wallis Simpson at one point. There were absolutely people within the palace trying to force the Wallis connection, but I seriously doubt Philip was one of them.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.

Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, attends morning service at St. Peter and St. Paul Church in West Newton, Norfolk.,Image: 362272283, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no

The Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of Sussex leave after the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. Picture date: Saturday May 18, 2019. .,Image: 506549190, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon

18/05/2019. Windsor , United Kingdom. Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Harry leaving the Lady Gabriella Windsor wedding at St.George’s Chapel, Windsor, United Kingdom.,Image: 506549519, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon

Meghan Markle in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle for her wedding to Prince Harry watched by (middle row from left) Queen Elizabeth II, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Wessex, Viscount Severn, Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, Princess Royal, Sir Tim Laurence, (front row from left) Duke of Cambridge, Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall Duchess of Cambridge, Duke of York. .,Image: 515241949, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon

North America Rights Only – Berkshire, UK -20180519- Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Berkshire -PICTURED: Meghan Markle, Doria Ragland -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded Featuring: Meghan Markle, Doria Ragland Where: Berkshire, England, United Kingdom When: 19 May 2018 Credit: INSTARimages.com **North America Rights Only**

North America Rights Only – Berkshire, UK -20180519- Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Berkshire-PICTURED: Meghan Markle, Doria Ragland-PHOTO by: INSTARimages.comThis is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded Featuring: Meghan Markle, Doria Ragland Where: Berkshire, England, United Kingdom When: 19 May 2018 Credit: INSTARimages.com **North America Rights Only**

©Licenced to i-Images Picture Agency. All Rights Reserved. UK copyright law applies to all print & online publications. i-Images space rates apply to all images.Magazines contact agency for fees before use.Images Single use only then repro fees apply.Info@i-images.coOffice Tel: +44 20 8506 1486, LOndon, Windsor Australian & NZ Rights ONLY The Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle. Picture by i-Images / Pool71PICTURED: Meghan Markle,Prince Harry-PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com-Instar_The_Royal_Wedding_282Editorial Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.INSTARimages.com for licensing fee and rights: North America Inquiries: email sales@instarimages.com or call 212.414.0207 – UK Inquiries: email ben@instarimages.com or call + 7715 698 715 – Australia Inquiries: email sarah@instarimages.com.au Êor call +02 9660 0500 Ð for any other Country, please email sales@instarimages.com. ÊImage or video may not be published in any way that is or might be deemed defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene / Please consult our sales department for any clarification or question you may have – http://www.INSTARimages.com reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or video. If you are in violation of our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or video, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damage. Featuring: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Where: LOndon, Windsor, United Kingdom When: 19 May 2018 Credit: INSTARimages.com **©Licenced to i-Images Picture Agency. All Rights Reserved. UK copyright law applies to all print & online publications. i-Images space rates apply to all images.Magazines contact agency for fees before use.Images Single use only then repro fees apply.I**

MANDATORY CREDIT: Chris Allerton – copyright SussexRoyal NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE. NO MERCHANDISING, ADVERTISING, SOUVENIRS, MEMORABILIA or COLOURABLY SIMILAR. NOT FOR USE AFTER FRIDAY JUNE 7, 2019, WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM ROYAL COMMUNICATIONS AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE. This photograph is provided to you strictly on condition that these conditions and restrictions will apply (and that you will pass these on) to any organisation to whom you supply it. There shall be no commercial use whatsoever of the photographs (including by way of example only) any use in merchandising, advertising or any other non-news editorial use. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. All other requests for use should be directed to the Buckingham Palace Press Office in writing. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are joined by her mother, Doria Ragland, as they show their new son, born Monday and named as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, to the Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle.

NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE. NO MERCHANDISING, ADVERTISING, SOUVENIRS, MEMORABILIA or COLOURABLY SIMILAR. NOT FOR USE AFTER 31 DECEMBER 2018 WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION FROM KENSINGTON PALACE. NO CROPPING. Publications are asked to credit the photograph to Alexi Lubomirski. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. This official wedding photograph released by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shows The Duke and Duchess in The Green Drawing Room, Windsor Castle, with (left-to-right): Back row: Master Jasper Dyer, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Prince of Wales, Ms. Doria Ragland, The Duke of Cambridge; middle row: Master Brian Mulroney, the Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth II, the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Miss Rylan Litt, Master John Mulroney; Front row: Miss Ivy Mulroney, Miss Florence van Cutsem, Miss Zalie Warren, Miss Remi Litt.