Prince Harry reportedly had one lingering frustration about his marriage with Meghan Markle. According to a royal author, it was the pace of their romance that allegedly troubled him. The report claims Harry often compared his whirlwind journey to marriage with Prince William and Kate Middleton’s much longer courtship. In doing so, he reportedly felt he and Markle never had the same opportunity to ease into royal life before saying “I do.”
Prince Harry compared fast-track marriage to Meghan Markle with Prince William’s slow-burn romance, per source
It’s been speculated that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship timeline became another point of tension within the Royal Family before their 2018 wedding. Royal author Simon Vigar has claimed Harry privately compared his own experience with Prince William’s and allegedly resented how differently their relationships unfolded.
William and Kate Middleton first met at the University of St Andrews in 2001. From there, their romance grew gradually over several years. They dated, briefly separated, reunited, and eventually became engaged in 2010 before marrying the following year.
Meanwhile, Harry and Markle’s relationship followed a much faster path. They met in July 2016, confirmed their romance publicly later that year, announced their engagement in November 2017, and married in May 2018.
According to one source, per RadarOnline, Harry “couldn’t help comparing his own experience with William’s.” The insider claimed William and Middleton had years to build their relationship before taking on married life inside the monarchy. That slower pace, the source alleged, allowed them to understand each other while also preparing for the demands of royal life.
Harry, however, reportedly felt his experience was very different. The source claimed he believed there was “far less opportunity for that same gradual adjustment” with Markle. As a result, Harry allegedly felt everything moved far more quickly than it had for his older brother.
Meanwhile, Vigar claimed William’s concerns about the relationship only deepened that frustration. Speaking on the “Palace Confidential” podcast, the royal author said William believed the romance was progressing too fast. “William was concerned it was all happening too quickly,” Vigar claimed. According to the author, “Harry bristled at that” and did not appreciate his brother’s reaction.
Vigar also argued that Middleton had years to decide whether royal life was right for her before fully stepping into the role. Harry, on the other hand, apparently never had that luxury. “That’s something Harry never had and clearly resented,” the author claimed, adding that once Harry and Markle committed to each other, the relationship “went into warp drive.”