ROYAL FAMILY NEWSEx-Prince Andrew 'Scathingly Dismissed' Meghan Markle as an 'Opportunist' at Beginning of Her Relationship With Prince Harry, Book Reveals
Ex-Prince Andrew 'dismissed' Meghan Markle as an 'opportunist' at the start of her relationship with Prince Harry.
April 8 2026, Published 2:38 p.m. ET
Ex-Prince Andrew wasn't too fond of Meghan Markle when she was first introduced to the royal family at the start of her relationship with Prince Harry in 2016.
According to Tom Bower's new book Betrayal, the former Duke of York, 66, labeled the former actress, 44, as an "opportunist."
Prince Harry and Ex-Prince Andrew Awkwardly Reunited at King Charles' Coronation
Prince Harry and ex-Prince Andrew reunited at King Charles' coronation.
Bower wrote about a weird moment between Harry, 41, and Andrew when they rode together to King Charles' 2023 coronation at Westminster Abbey.
"In the driving rain, Harry arrived at the Abbey with Andrew," Bower penned. "The disgraced Prince [Andrew] was, at the time, still refusing the King's order to move to Frogmore [Cottage], from Royal Lodge, the 30-bedroom mansion he occupied with his ex-wife, Sarah [Ferguson]."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Left The Firm in 2020
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot in 2018.
Frogmore Cottage is the former Windsor home of Harry and Meghan. They lived there for two years following their 2018 marriage.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex later moved to California in 2020 after taking a step back as senior members of the royal family. As for Andrew, he lived with Ferguson, 66, at the Royal Lodge from 2008 until 2025.
However, they were evicted from the estate last year due to their ties to late child predator Jeffrey Epstein.
- Royal Feud Explodes: Prince Andrew Told Prince Harry His 'Biggest Mistake' Would Be Marrying Meghan Markle
- Prince Harry Felt His Family Wasn't Showing Meghan Markle Enough 'Support' Or 'Respect' After They Married, Author Claims
- Breaking Point: Why King Charles Felt 'Provoked' To Evict Prince Harry & Meghan Markle From Frogmore Cottage
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Ex-Prince Andrew Didn't Believe in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Relationship Would Last
Ex-Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were kicked out of the Royal Lodge last year.
"Relations between the uncle and his nephew were not good … In some accounts, Andrew had scathingly dismissed Meghan as an 'opportunist,'" Bower wrote.
The Royal Navy veteran's moniker for the Suits star was further echoed in royal expert Andrew Lownie's 2025 tell-all, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York.
Lownie also scribed how Andrew really felt about the As Ever founder, saying: "Andrew told Harry his marriage to Meghan Markle would not last more than a month and accused his nephew of going 'bonkers' and not doing any due diligence into her past."
'Andrew has been pampered all the way through his life,' author Andrew Lownie said.
"He openly accused Meghan of being an opportunist and thought she was too old for Harry, adding that his nephew was making the biggest mistake ever," Lownie recalled.
The book detailed the many scandals of Andrew and Ferguson in relation to Epstein.
“They thought they’d be able to operate like this under the radar,” Lownie told People last month about the Yorks and their indiscretions. “They’re clearly up to their necks in exploiting their royal status.”
"Andrew has been pampered all the way through his life, in this bubble,” he added. “Status is everything to him — it’s his only sense of identity.”
