Prince Harry faced skepticism from multiple family members when he announced his intention to marry Meghan Markle, with his late grandfather Prince Philip delivering perhaps the most memorably blunt assessment of the relationship. The Duke of Edinburgh\u2019s candid reaction to the engagement news has resurfaced through revelations in a new royal biography that examines the dynamics within the House of Windsor.<\/p>\n
Royal patriarch issues stark warning<\/p>\n
When Harry<\/a> shared his plans to wed the American actress in November 2017, Prince Philip responded with characteristic directness that reflected both his no-nonsense personality and concerns about bringing an actress into the royal family. According to Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, historian Andrew Lownie\u2019s biography of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Philip told his grandson that one steps out with actresses but doesn\u2019t marry them.<\/p>\n The warning demonstrated Philip\u2019s old-fashioned views about appropriate royal marriages and his skepticism about whether someone from the entertainment industry could successfully navigate the demanding protocols and intense scrutiny of royal life. His blunt assessment came just over a year after news of Harry and Meghan\u2019s romance first became public knowledge.<\/p>\n Philip\u2019s caution to Harry following the engagement announcement was initially reported by The Sunday Times in 2019, which characterized it as potentially idle dinner party gossip while acknowledging it sounded authentically like a Prince Philip remark. The Duke of Edinburgh had built a legendary reputation for quick wit and unfiltered commentary both inside and outside palace walls throughout his decades of royal service.<\/p>\n
\nBrother expresses concerns about relationship pace<\/p>\n