Did Meghan Markle and Prince Harry do the royal family a favor by splitting? One expert says their decision to move to the United States was great for Prince William. Here’s what they had to say.
Who Is Andrew Morton, Royal Biographer?
Many biographers have taken a crack at the royal family, but Andrew Morton sticks out. He penned Diana: Her True Story – In Her Own Words, the 1993 biography later turned into a film. He didn’t speak to Princess Diana directly, but her friends had permission to speak to him, offering almost unparalleled insight. He’s also written books on Prince William and Meghan Markle, so he’s a certified expert on the royal family.
Morton recently sat down with Salon to discuss his updated book Meghan and the Unmasking of the Monarchy. He talked about the differences and similarities between Diana and Markle: “The difference — the big difference — was that Diana and Prince Charles effectively separated pretty early on in their marriage and went their separate ways. Whereas, with Meghan and Harry, the one thing you can’t say about them is that they’re not a genuinely loving couple.”
Just Get In The Way
He also spoke about the future of the monarchy. Morton thinks Harry and Markle’s decision to leave actually made the lives of senior royals easier: “I think the irony is that Prince Charles and Prince William saw themselves as being the leaders of the slimmed-down monarchy. In a way, Harry and Meghan have done them a favor by jumping ship.”
Had Harry and Markle decided to stick around, they would have gotten in William and Charles’ way, he continued. Morton also points out that Prince Andrew was once second in line for the throne, just like how Harry is currently sixth in line. Within a generation or two, Harry will be far from the throne and this may all be a distant memory.
What Of Prince Andrew?
For what it’s worth, Morton believes Andrew’s “royal career is over.” he thinks Andrew is best “as a land manager of Balmoral, or something working for the family firm as an executive, overseeing the works on the farms. I think his royal career is pretty well caput.” Gossip Cop has seen many reports questioning if Andrew could ever return to his old responsibilities, but experts agree that this is extremely unlikely.
Considering how much controversy has erupted over Markle and Harry leaving for the United States, it’s surprising to see Morton call it a good thing. With Harry out of the way, William and Charles can build a policy with one fewer cook in the kitchen.