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18 March 2024, 12:39 | Updated: 18 March 2024, 12:50
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Meghan Markle shares the same ‘narcissistic and controlling’ tendencies as Wallis Simpson, one of the Royal family’s ‘authorised’ biographers has claimed.
Sally Bedell Smith’s new book explores how King George VI “saved the monarchy” following his brother King Edward VIII’s abdication and marriage to Simpson in 1936.
The American writer claims there are strong similarities between the Windsor couple and today’s Sussexes following their stepping back as working Royals.
Taking aim at the Duke of Sussex, meanwhile, Bedell Smith said Prince Harry is as weak as Edward.
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Speaking about the two couple’s similarities while promoting her book George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Saved the Monarchy, Bedell Smith said Meghan was “domineering” and was the reason for the “changed dynamic” between brothers William and Harry.
She likened the “betrayal” felt by William after Harry’s exit to that felt by his great-grandfather George VI following his brother’s abdication.
In the case of both William and Harry, and Edward and Geroge, “an American woman came into the picture and changed the dynamic of the whole thing”, she said.
King Edward VIII was forced to step down from the throne over his insistence on marrying Simpson – a twice-divorced American socialite, who was deemed an inappropriate spouse for the king in the 1930s.
The late Queen Elizabeth’s father King VI took over the throne from his brother until his death in 1952.
“The Duke of Windsor [Edward] did a lot of harmful things [after his abdication],” she told the Oxford Literary Festival, the Times reported.
“He lied to his brother about how much money he had. For example, he was in the process of selling a huge amount of land at Sandringham just so he could pocket the money. It was those kinds of deceptions, as well as his behaviour in general.”
The Windsors were deemed a great embarrassment to not only the Royal family but the British government following the abdication. The Duke was known to have a friendship with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
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The author said: “Harry was never going to be King. But I think there are similar feelings of betrayal that have resulted in William in particular being furious with his brother.
She added: “In some respects Meghan and the Duchess of Windsor have similar qualities: very narcissistic, very controlling, very dominating.”
Bedell Smith has written extensively about the Royal family and is one of very few writers given somewhat unfettered access to the Royal archives.
It comes after the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex did not appear together at the Diana Legacy Awards last week.
William appeared at the start of the awards, while Harry addressed winners via videocall after the proceedings.
