March 10, 2023 2:00am EST
Meghan Markle 'hated being a second-rate princess' before making her royal exit, palace staffer claims
Tom Quinn, author of 'Gilded Youth,' described how the Duchess of Sussex viewed Princess Diana as a 'kindred spirit'
By Stephanie Nolasco | Fox News
Meghan Markle 'hated being a second-rate princess' before making her royal exit, palace staffer claims
Stephanie Nolasco
9–11 minutes
Meghan Markle allegedly "hated being a second-rate princess" before she made her royal exit with Prince Harry.
The claim was made by a Kensington Palace staffer "who remembered Meghan well" in a new book written by Tom Quinn titled "Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family." It features exclusive testimony from palace staff with historical sources, as well as royal insiders. It aims to examine the traditional upbringing of the British royal family and how it has impacted them over the years.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment concerning Quinn’s book. However, a spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital that the palace does not generally comment "on such books."
Quinn told Fox News Digital that the former American actress identified with Princess Diana, a member of the royal family who was treated unfairly by the press and then hounded by paparazzi until her tragic death in 1997 at age 36.
"It’s very easy to see why Meghan would identify with Diana because, in a sense, Diana was also a rebel within the royal family," Quinn explained. "Their views of the royal family coincide. They’re very similar. Diana hated all that stuffiness. She didn’t like the pheasant shooting that she was dragged along to. And it’s interesting because Diana grew up in that world. She grew up on an enormous estate. The Spencers are one of the most aristocratic families in the U.K. They’ve married into the royal family for over 500-600 years. But I think when Meghan thinks of Diana, she sees a kindred spirit."
According to Quinn’s book, the palace staffer described the 41-year-old as "a very nice, smiley, super-positive person." However, as someone who "always felt in control of her own destiny" she found herself in an institution "she couldn’t influence."
"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 staffer alleged, as quoted in Quinn's book. "She hated the constraints and the rules; 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."
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