Meghan Markle 'Keeps a Really Tight Leash' on Prince Harry, Claims Lady Victoria Hervey: 'He's Deprived of Freedom'

Prince Harry reportedly had a small, low-key birthday celebration when he turned 40 on Sunday, September 15, but some royal experts think he would have gone in another direction if it wasn't for Meghan Markle.

"He wanted to do a big party and she did not want that," Lady Victoria Hervey claimed.

"I think she's so worried about him straying and seeing his old friends and spending time with them and remembering his old life, that she's got him in this cage where all he knows is this life that he has with her," she explained on GB News.

"I think she keeps him on a really tight leash. You can see it in him, he's deprived of freedom," Hervey insisted. "She's sort of his therapist and his babysitter and he's very, very dependent on her."

Host Nana Akua countered that maybe the Spare author "worried about actually being away from her for too long, which people might think that's quite sweet."

"It's sweet in a way, but she is dominating him," Hervey stated. "He's worried about her reactions. I think if he doesn't do what she wants, she puts her feet down and then she probably threatens him with things about the kids or things that she'll do."

Akua also commended the Suits alum, 43, for "managing to get Harry under control" after his "wild" partying days.

As OK! reported, despite the tension between then Sussexes and the monarchy, the royal family paid tribute to Harry on his special day via social media.

On the brood's social media account, they posted a photo of Harry and wrote, "🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!"

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Prince William and Kate Middleton re-shared that upload and added, "Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to the Duke of Sussex."

Despite the sweet gestures, people quickly noticed that the photo the family chose had cropped out Meghan, which some thought was an intentional snub.

Nonetheless, the surprising birthday message is not a real olive branch, royal commentator Kinsey Schofield said.

"Harry and Meghan are certainly not welcome back as a team," she told a news outlet. "I would argue they are not welcome back at all if Prince William has anything to say about it… But Harry could potentially get his foot in the door through his father. [But] it is not something the royal family is longing for."