Prince Philip's Huge Warning to Prince Harry Before Marrying Meghan Markle Revealed: Why The Duke of Edinburgh Did Not Give Marriage the Royal Seal Of Approval
Prince Philip warned Prince Harry about marrying Meghan Markle and was reluctant to welcome the ex-'Suits' actress into the royal fold.
Nov. 24 2025, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
Prince Philip was "reluctant" to be charmed by Meghan Markle, and warned Prince Harry about marrying the ex-Suits star, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Duke of Edinburgh told his grandson, "One steps out with actresses, one doesn't marry them," before they tied the knot.
'Wary' of Markle
Philip reportedly told Harry 'one steps out with actresses, one doesn't marry them.'
The late royal, who died in April 2021 – aged 99, had reluctant feelings towards Markle entering the "The Firm," partly due the the actress and Harry embarking on a whirlwind 16-month courtship before he got down on one knee.
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie revealed Philip's true feelings about the marriage in his tell-all book, Entitled.
Meanwhile, according to royal biographer Ingrid Seward in her book My Mother And I, Philip was "one of the very few wary" of being charmed by Markle, 44, in the early days of her relationship with Harry, 41.
Philip was also said to have thought it was "uncanny" how much she reminded him of Wallis Simpson, the American socialite whom King Edward VIII abdicated to marry.
As such, the prince nicknamed Markle "DOW" after Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor.
William Wanted Harry to Slow Down
Philip was 'one of a few' royals wary of Markle and felt grandson Harry rushed into marrying her.
Philip also wasn't the only royal to have attempted to caution Harry about the pace of his relationship with Markle, with his brother, Prince William, said to have felt "nervous" about their upcoming nuptials.
In his controversial 2023 memoir Spare, Harry discussed William's warning to take it slow, writing, "'It's too fast,' he'd told me. 'Too soon.' In fact, he'd actually been pretty discouraging about me even dating Meg."
However, Harry dismissed his family's concerns, with it claimed that he believed he had to marry her quickly because her "biological clock was ticking" as she was almost 35 years old, according to royal author Tina Brown.
Despite their fairytale wedding in May 2018, the Sussexes' love story quickly took a sharp turn when the Duchess realized that the life of a princess was far from what it was made out to be in the books.
Philip 'Didn't Understand' Markle
The late royal, here with wife Queen Elizabeth, who died in 2022, could not understand why Markle could not follow his example.
After making the decision to withdraw from royal duties and relocate to North America in January 2020, later dubbed "Megxit," Philip's views towards Markle were said to have soured further.
According to Seward, he simply couldn't understand why the former TV star was unable to follow his own example after marrying into the royal fold.
Speaking in 2020, Seward explained, "I think he's very, very disappointed because I think he feels he gave up his naval career in order to stand by the Queen and help the monarchy.
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Philip assumed Markle would support both her husband and the monarchy.
"And why can't Meghan just give up her acting career, support her husband, and support the monarchy? He just cannot understand why she couldn't support Harry and help him rather than wanting to have her voice."
After becoming the Duke of Edinburgh, Philip gave up his birth citizenship, his naval career, and even his surname. In many ways, he accepted that his life would be spent in the shadow of Queen Elizabeth II.
