Meghan Markle Refused Help From Sophie Wessex Which Left Queen Elizabeth Concerned Because She ‘Had Seen It All Before,’ Book Claims
When Meghan Markle spoke to Oprah Winfrey during that primetime special in March 2021, the Duchess of Sussex claimed that she was not offered any type of guidance from anyone in her husband’s family to help her adjust to royal life.
Numerous reports since then counter what Meghan told the talk show host and palace sources have insisted that Harry’s bride was offered assistance for whatever she needed. Now, according to a new book, Queen Elizabeth II herself suggested that Meghan learn the royal ropes from Prince Edward’s wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex. However, the duchess outright rejected the offer and that had the queen concerned because she had “seen it all before.”
The queen wanted Sophie to show Meghan ‘the ropes’ but the duchess rejected help
Gyles Brandreth is an English broadcaster, former politician, and friend of the late queen and Prince Philip. In his new book titled Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, he wrote that the late monarch suggested Sophie could act as a mentor to Meghan and show her “the ropes.”
According to an extract from his book published in the Daily Mail: “The queen (who, of course, had seen it all before) understood that Harry’s girl might find adjusting to royal life ‘challenging to begin with’ (as she put it). ‘It is very jolty, but you soon get used to it’ — that was Her Majesty’s experience going back many years. To help Meghan, the queen suggested that her daughter-in-law, Sophie Wessex, would be an ideal mentor. ‘Sophie can help show you the ropes,’ said the queen.”
Brandreth added that despite the offer “Meghan made it clear that she did not feel she needed Sophie’s help. She had Harry.”
Sophie admitted she had much more time to adjust than Meghan did
Although Meghan may have thought she didn’t need anyone’s help but Harry’s, the countess would have been an ideal mentor because she and Meghan had similar backgrounds with successful careers before marrying into the royal family. And something Sophie had that her nephew’s wife didn’t was a lot of time to really get integrated into the Firm.
“I had five years to adjust,” Sophie told The Sunday Times about dating Prince Edward for a while before they tied the knot in 1999. “For our six-month engagement, I was even staying in Buckingham Palace. Not that you necessarily know how it will pan out.”
She then insisted: “We all try to help any new members of the family.”
The countess and duchess shared the same car in the queen’s funeral procession
One of the last images of the women together was at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. The countess and duchess shared the same car during processions for the late monarch but cameras did not catch them speaking to each other at all.
Tom Bower, who authored the blistering biography about the former Suits star titled Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors, said if the women did have words while in the car it’s possible that Sophie gave Meghan a piece of her mind.
“I would have loved to have known what Sophie Wessex said to Meghan Markle as they drove in the limousine between Westminster Hall and the church,” Bower said, adding, “Sophie Wessex is a plain-speaking woman. Did she tell Meghan exactly what they all thought of her?”
