Meghan Markle and Prince Harry “completely underestimated” what their life would be like once leaving the Royal Family.
The claims come from royal author Tina Brown in her new book The Palace Papers.
After quitting royal duties in 2019, the pair have managed to sign deals with Netflix and Spotify, as well as setting up their nonprofit organisation Archewell.
She said: “I think they both completely underestimated what it was going to be like without the Palace platform.
"However much they hated, and I think they really did, the constraints and the pettiness, essentially they conceived, of the Palace and the advisors - trying to do it without the Palace advisors, right?
"Because what the Palace does, of course, it has an amazing convening power, there's no one who won't take a phone call from Buckingham Palace or Kensington Palace, they've got a huge convening power.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attending the Invictus Games athletics events in the Athletics Park, at Zuiderpark the Hague, Netherlands. Picture date: Sunday April 17, 2022.
Aaron Chown
"Every invitation in the world comes through that conduit and private secretaries can just sift and say what about appearing this, or why don't you do this?
"All of that is now gone and they have to have PRs do that for them and their judgement is not necessarily the best judgement.
"They are trying to leverage the royal brand and there is no PR who really knows how to do that better than Buckingham Palace or Kensington Palace."
Her comments, made in conversation with the Washington Post, come as the Duchess of Sussex’s father said Meghan is deliberately driving a wedge between the Royal Family.
Thomas Markle, 77, revealed exclusively on GB News he is planning to fly over to the UK in June for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
While there he hopes to meet members of the Royal Family and his grandchildren – Archie and Lilibet – for the first time.
Mr Markle, who has a strained relationship with his daughter and Prince Harry, agreed with host Dan Wootton's question on if Meghan was breaking the Royal Family apart.
Mr Markle, who has a strained relationship with his daughter and Prince Harry, agreed with host Dan Wootton's question on if Meghan was breaking the Royal Family apart.
When asked the question, he said: "Yes I do. I don't know why but I think she had something to do with him moving out.
"Apparently the story was he was taking her away from things that were upsetting her but I don't buy that at all.
"I think they were looking for some reason to get out.
"I don't know why my daughter who should have loved the idea of becoming part of the royals, reaching out and shaking hands with children all day long.
"Meeting people and greeting people it's what an actor does and she would have been so loved if she'd stayed and done that.
"Instead she takes Harry away, they're holed up and big house and do nothing."
