Prince Harry: Royal expert claims Lady Diana's family asked him to 'reconsider haste towards marriage'

Prince Harry, who celebrated his 40th birthday earlier this month, has remained close to his mother's family ever since her sudden death in 1997. He is particularly close to his uncle, Charles Spencer, which has allowed for candor and honesty between the two men.

In fact, a royal expert has claimed that Princess Diana's brother gave Prince Harry a warning about his wife before they got married. Here's what he allegedly said.

His uncle warned him Meghan Markle would not 'fit in'

Royal expert Tom Bower released a book about the Firm in 2022, two years after they officially stepped down from their roles as senior members of the Firm. It was entitled Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War between the Windsors. According to him, Charles Spencer, along with Princess Diana's sisters, was asked to speak to Prince Harry about his future wife and her integration into the Royal Family by Prince William.

The siblings reportedly believed she would struggle to fit in, and that would lead to a tremendous amount of anxiety for the couple. They also did not see the similarities between Meghan Markle and Princess Diana that the young man kept referring to. Tom Bower claimed:

Harry assumed that Diana's family and friends would see a similarity between Diana and his fiancée. Both, he said, shared the same problems. He was disappointed. No one agreed that his vulnerable mother had anything in common with his girlfriend.

According to the royal expert, Charles Spencer used his experience, as he had been married and divorced several times, to warn Prince Harry about the difficulties of marriage, especially in the extraordinary circumstance of marrying into the Royal Family. He reportedly urged him to take some time to think it over. Tom Bower explained:

More discomforting for him, they thought Meghan would not fit in with the Royal Family. Their unease was voiced by Charles Spencer, Diana's brother. At William's request, Spencer weighed in. Three times married, Spencer cautioned his nephew to reconsider his haste towards marriage.

It has been claimed that Prince Harry felt bitter after his interaction with his uncle, as Tom Bower wrote:

His advice provoked a bitter reaction. 'This was going to be really hard,' Harry would later reflect on establishing Meghan's place in the family.

Despite this alleged interaction, that seems nothing short of deeply uncomfortable, Prince Harry and Charles Spencer have maintained their close bond. Something that cannot be said about the Prince's relationship with his dad's side of the family.

Prince Harry's relationship with Charles Spencer

Indeed, since Prince Harry lost his mother, Princess Diana, when he was only thirteen years old, he has cultivated close bonds with her family, especially with her younger brother.

According to the Express, Prince Harry stayed at the Althorp Estate when he travelled to the UK in August 2024 to attend Lord Robert Fellowes' funeral. Witnesses said Prince William also attended the funeral, but the estranged brothers remained as far away from each other as they possibly could. It has also been alleged that Prince Harry and his family have been invited to spend Christmas with Charles Spencer this year.

Given their relationship, a source told the Express that the Spencer family could be the key to bringing the brothers back together. Indeed, the funeral of Lord Robert Fellowes was reason enough to get them in the same room—something that has so rarely happened since Prince Harry left the Firm. One can only hope that the Spencers will try their hardest to stop the feud that has been going on for the past four years.

Read more:

Prince Harry and Meghan: Lady Diana's family have invited the Sussexes for Christmas, source claims

Princess Diana’s brother shares rare intimate childhood photo

Princess Diana's family tree: Everything we know about the Princess' parents and siblings

Sources used:

Express: Diana's family warned Harry that Meghan Markle would 'not fit in' with royals

Express: Diana's family 'key' to repairing Prince Harry and Prince William's shattered relationship