William Was Reportedly Concerned About Harry's Mental State When He Dated Meghan

The relationship between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry has polarized royal fans almost from the beginning. Some see her as a spoiled American upstart who tore the prince away from his family and legacy, while others see her as his rescuer from the cruelty of the media and the limits of his role as sixth in line to the throne. However, how does the royal family themselves see her? That, too, depends on the experts who have commented on the Sussexes over the years. Reportedly, the queen was supportive of Harry and Meghan's exit from royal life, though not necessarily their clumsiness in doing so. However, Prince Charles and Prince William were said to be fuming over Harry and Meghan's account of their royal life, the accusations of racism within the palace, and Harry's comment to Oprah Winfrey that his father and brother were "trapped" in their own roles (via Marie Claire).

The latest to weigh in on Meghan and Harry is journalist and former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown, whose new book "The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor — the Truth and the Turmoil" is getting major buzz. She concludes that while all the royals have their own failings, the Sussexes are the true troublemakers in the family. Per The Washington Post, the two have "a mutual 'addiction to drama'" that led them to create an atmosphere of tension and mistrust in the palace.

Brown also explains how William felt about his beloved brother dating the American actress, and it had less to do with her and more to do with Harry.

William reportedly felt his brother wasn't mentally ready to marry Meghan

Tina Brown, who spoke to more than 100 palace insiders, explains in "The Palace Papers" that Prince Harry was battling his own demons long before Meghan Markle entered the picture. Devastated by the death of his mother, Princess Diana, when he was just 12, the young prince became angry and combative. Even after his time in the military, Harry couldn't control his temper. Eventually, it led to his famous breakup with Cressida Bonas (per Page Six).

When Harry met Meghan through a mutual friend, their chemistry turned into a whirlwind romance — much faster than that of Prince William's relationship with Kate Middleton. According to Brown's sources, William was concerned that the couple was rushing into marriage before Meghan could adjust to British culture and fully comprehend what it would mean to be a biracial woman in a decidedly white family. "A person close to the Duke of Cambridge told me that William thought she should have more time to build up a life in the UK and make friends who didn't always have to be brought in confidence to the palace," Brown writes (per Fox News). 

He also fretted about his brother's mental state: "Unspoken to Harry, the person said, was the older brother's fear that Harry's mental fragility was such that he wouldn't be strong enough to handle all of that on her behalf, as well as his own issues," says Brown. Sure enough, when the couple made their infamous "Megxit," they explained that they were leaving for the sake of their mental health.