Prince Harry Resents Kate Middleton and Prince William for Being Seen as 'Number One'
Prince Harry's memoir, Spare, revealed royal family secrets and explored the complicated relationship between him and his brother, Prince William. The Duke of Sussex struggled with living life in the Prince of Wales' shadow, and royal biographer Tom Quinn thinks the veteran's insecurities are one of the reasons he married Meghan Markle.
Quinn said in an interview that Harry wasn't able to handle the attention William and his wife, Kate Middleton, received.
"All Harry's complaining is really about the fact that he's not number one, he doesn't have a bigger role," Quinn explained. "I think that's why he clicked with Meghan because she comes from a society where if you work hard and you're talented, you can get to the top."
The Wales will eventually be the king and queen of England, and the royal expert urged the famous redhead to accept his reality.
"You can't change the fact that William and Kate are number one," Quinn explained.
The commentator later speculated that the Duchess of Sussex didn't enjoy her ranking within The Firm.
"It's obvious when you think about it, but I think she thought she could come into the royal family and be the star," he noted. "And of course, she [Meghan] couldn't because the monarchial structures are medieval, they're rigid."
Harry called William his "beloved brother" and "archnemesis" in his autobiography, and he explained their unique dynamic during a Good Morning America appearance.
"There has always been this competition between us, weirdly. I think it really plays into, or was played by, the 'heir/spare,'" the author said in defense of his statement.
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In the docuseries Harry & Meghan, the actress claimed she didn't get along well with her brother and sister-in-law.
"When Will and Kate came over and I had met her for the first time, they came over for dinner," Meghan shared. "I remember I was in ripped jeans and barefoot."
"Like I was a hugger, always been a hugger," she added. "I didn't realize that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits. I guess I'd start to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside, carried through on the inside."
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The Northwestern alum later complained about the couple's etiquette.
"There is a forward-facing way of being and then you close the door and you relax now," she recalled. "But that formality carries over on both sides. And that was surprising to me."
"It's so funny if I look back at it now because now I know so much," the brunette continued. "And I'm so glad I didn't then because I could just authentically be myself without so much preparedness."
OK! previously reported Meghan wasn't fond of being compared to the Princess of Wales.
"She was dazzled by the worldwide fame that being a princess would bring, but she was shocked by the palace protocol and by the fact that she was not and never could be first in the pecking order," the source continued. "She hated being a second-rate princess – second to Catherine Middleton, I mean. She thought she would be living in Windsor Castle, for example, and just couldn’t believe it when she and Harry were given Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace."
Quinn spoke to The Express.