“Meghan Markle realised that no amount of hard work and charm would move her into pole position”

WINDSOR, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex on the long Walk at Windsor Castle arrive to view flowers and tributes to HM Queen Elizabeth on September 10, 2022 in Windsor, England. Crowds have gathered and tributes left at the gates of Windsor Castle to Queen Elizabeth II, who died at Balmoral Castle on 8 September, 2022. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

A palace insider has made new claims suggesting Meghan Markle had always intended to leave the royal family after being underwhelmed by palace life and growing increasingly jealous Prince William and Princess Catherine’s “pole position”.

Royal author Tom Quinn believes both Prince Harry—whom is currently fifth in the line for the throne—and his wife Markle have always harboured envy for Prince William and Prince Catherine, particularly as Markle learned of “second placing” to the future King and Queen.

“Harry has always been jealous that the accident of birth has made his brother certain of his role in life while, as spare, he was left to struggle to make his own way,” he told the UK’s Mirror on August 13.

“Of course, he was still a senior royal, still in the line of succession, which was magical for Meghan,” he continues. “But following their wedding, the Duchess of Sussex quickly realised that by marrying the spare she was always going to be tied to second place.”

According to Quinn, Markle was reportedly stunned to learn she wouldn’t be living in Windsor Castle. After marrying Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth II generously gifted the couple the 10-bedroom Frogmore Cottage as a place to call home. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly spent 2.4 million pounds (AU$4.6 million) renovating the home and then only lived there a few months.

“When Meghan arrived in the UK and got over the first shock of not being allowed to live in Windsor Castle, she realised that no amount of hard work and charm would move her into pole position,” Quinn says.

“Meghan and Harry were and are jealous of the status of William and Kate.”

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JULY 11: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the 2024 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 11, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P)

Of course, this is all just Quinn’s viewpoint. The new insights come as Prince Harry and Markle’s chief of staff, Josh Kettler, quit just three months into the position. He was reportedly meant to join the couple on a tour of Colombia which begins August 15.

Since 2018, the couple have lost 18 employees (nine of which left when the couple moved from the UK to California).