Prince Philip Reportedly Compared Meghan Markle To This Controversial Figure

The royal family has had more than its share of scandalous romances, but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have really taken the cake, thanks to their explosive decision to give up their senior roles and willingness to speak out about their alleged mistreatment. As NBC News pointed out at the time, by opening up to Oprah Winfrey about the mental and emotional abuse she'd suffered at the hands of the monarchy, Meghan proved she wasn't the threat they perceived her to be — until the royals mistreated her. 

One of the biggest bombshells to come out of the groundbreaking chat involved an unnamed, senior member of the family having "concerns about how dark [her son Archie's] skin might be when he's born." There was a troubling implication that the unborn child would be stripped of his royal title, and the associated protections, as a result of being biracial. Winfrey subsequently clarified it was neither the queen nor the late Prince Philip who had made the racist comment, per The Guardian. 

However, the patriarch didn't mince words when discussing Meghan elsewhere, even comparing her to another royal disruptor from history in the process. 

Marie Claire reports Prince Philip once unfavorably compared Meghan Markle to Wallis Simpson, for whom King Edward VIII infamously gave up his title to marry. The outlet quoted royal expert Ingrid Seward, who shared the anecdote in "Prince Philip Revealed," explaining, "For Philip, whose entire existence has been based on a devotion to duty, it appeared that his grandson had abdicated his for the sake of his marriage to an American divorcee in much the same way as Edward VIII gave up his crown to marry Wallis Simpson in 1936." After abdicating, Edward spent the remainder of his days in France with Simpson. 

Moreover, in "American Duchess: The Real Wallis Simpson," royal biographer Anna Pasternak noted (via People), "Being blamed in perpetuity for stealing a beloved, popular king from his throne and almost destroying the British monarchy would prove to be a lifelong annihilating burden that Wallis was forced to bear," which will undoubtedly call Markle's struggles to mind. The former actor was blamed for stealing Prince Harry away from his family, despite the fact he told Oprah Winfrey that they defected due to a "lack of support and lack of understanding" from the monarchy.

Funnily enough, the New York Post notes there was another American actor deemed inappropriate for a royal relationship. Koo Stark was essentially the '80s equivalent of the Duchess of Sussex, but her dalliance with Prince Andrew was short-lived due to intense press intrusion. Luckily Harry, like Edward before him, wasn't so easily swayed.

Seemingly, Prince Philip had an issue with his grandson getting close to Meghan Markle even before Prince Harry defected from the royal family. According to The Sun, earlier in their relationship, the late patriarch reportedly advised Harry, "One steps out with actresses, one doesn't marry them." The Sussexes notably got serious pretty quickly, and Philip was concerned Meghan wasn't the right fit for the family. However, his words didn't faze Harry, who married her soon after. Thankfully, Philip put his hesitations aside to attend the ceremony, despite the fact he was recovering from hip surgery at the time.

The patriarch remained close to the couple throughout their time with the monarchy and was even one of the first people to meet baby Archie. Philip wasn't the only one who expressed concern over the Sussexes' burgeoning relationship, however. Harry's brother, Prince William, allegedly asked him in the beginning, "This seems to be moving quickly, are you sure?" According to an insider, though, Harry wasn't having any of it and always "stood up for Meghan very forcibly."

Unsurprisingly, Prince Philip really wasn't impressed when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior members of the royal family. However, he did grudgingly support their decision regardless. Per The Mirror, Philip felt the Sussexes' plan to relocate to the U.S. while still remaining supportive of the queen was "naïve," according to royal biographer Gyles Brandreth. Reasoning "it's his life," the late royal accepted Meghan and Harry's wishes but obviously didn't agree with them. Moreover, sources confirmed he remained blissfully unaware of the claims the Sussexes made in their shocking Oprah Winfrey interview.

Brandreth informed the Daily Mail that Philip thought the interview was "madness" and a terrible idea regardless, though. "The Duke of Edinburgh was not pleased, nor did he believe that Harry and Meghan were doing the right thing either for the country or for themselves," the author revealed. Philip was sorry to see them go, and still considered Harry a "good man." According to Brandreth, "[Philip] said to me, 'People have got to lead their lives as they think best.'" 

Meghan sent a stunning wreath for Philip's funeral, per Hello! magazine. However, several royals were reportedly pleased she couldn't attend in person due to being heavily pregnant at the time, according to E! News, so perhaps the feud ran deeper than anyone realized.