logo
Prince William believes Meghan Markle saw Harry as a ‘stepping stone' to fame and fortune, biographer claims

Prince William believes Meghan Markle saw Harry as a ‘stepping stone' to fame and fortune, biographer claims

News.com.au11-07-2025
Prince William saw right through Meghan Markle's alleged plan to become rich and famous by marrying his younger brother, Prince Harry, a royal biographer claimed.
After Queen Elizabeth II's cousin and closest confidante, Lady Elizabeth Anson, claimed the late monarch was apprehensive about the Duchess of Sussex's intentions, royal journalist and commentator Phil Dampier alleged the Prince of Wales was sceptical about Markle entering the royal family.
'I think, unfortunately, that confirms what I've been saying or thought for the last few years that, sadly, Meghan never really had any intention of staying in the royal family,' Dampier told The Sun, referencing Anson's comments.
'She saw as a stepping stone getting married to Harry to new fame and fortune. And I think that's what initially Prince William was concerned about,' he alleged.
Dampier claimed that the siblings 'fell out' because of William's feelings about Markle.
'And now we are where we are. But to have this confirmed by somebody so close to the Queen is really dynamite,' he said.
However, a source fired back at the author's claims, telling Page Six, 'The opinions of Mr. Dampier are just that, opinions. They are completely without merit and not grounded in fact.
'There is no way Mr. Dampier, nor anyone at the Sun newspaper, could possibly know what the Duchess' intentions were or are, about anything.'
Page Six has reached out to Kensington Palace and reps for the Sussexes but did not immediately hear back.
Harry, 40, has had a strained relationship and William, 43, and their dad, King Charles III, since the Duke of Sussex quit the royal family in 2020 and moved to North America.
Things got worse between the relatives when Harry and the Suits star, also 43, accused the royal family of racism and released a Netflix series about their issues.
Then, in January 2023, the Invictus Games founder dropped his bombshell memoir, Spare, in which he alleged that William physically attacked him over Markle.
In May, Harry said he was willing to 'reconcile' with his family.
'There have been so many disagreements, differences, between me and some of my family,' he told BBC News on May 3.
'This current situation that has been ongoing for five years with regard to human life and safety is the sticking point. It is the only thing that's left,' the dad of two said, referring to him losing his appeal against the UK government's decision to strip him of his publicly funded security after he left the royal family.
The dad of two acknowledged that 'some members' of his family would 'never forgive' him for 'lots of things.'
Harry admitted that he didn't 'know how much longer' his father, Charles, 76, had left amid his cancer battle.
'He won't speak to me,' the prince claimed, 'because of this security stuff. But it would be nice to reconcile.'
Despite their 'disagreements' and 'differences,' Harry said he would 'love reconciliation with [his] family' because 'there's no point in continuing to fight.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ben Okri, Jana Wendt and Thomas Vowles on heartbreak, new beginnings and queer Melbourne
Ben Okri, Jana Wendt and Thomas Vowles on heartbreak, new beginnings and queer Melbourne

ABC News

timean hour ago

  • ABC News

Ben Okri, Jana Wendt and Thomas Vowles on heartbreak, new beginnings and queer Melbourne

Booker Prize-winning Nigerian author Ben Okri on his novella Madame Sosostris and the Festival for the Broken-Hearted, Australian journalist Jana Wendt on turning to fiction with her short story collection, The Far Side of the Moon and Australian writer Thomas Vowles shares why he's drawn to challenging stories in Our New Gods. Ben Okri is a Nigerian born, UK based writer who won the1991Booker Prize for his novel The Famished Road. His new novel has the wonderful title Madame Sosostris and the Festival for the Broken-Hearted. It takes us to a dreamlike masked ball in the south of France, a night of magic and mistaken identity. To attend this festival, you have to have had your heart smashed by love. Ben Okri shares the influence of Shakespeare and T.S. Eliot on his imagination and how he thinks of himself as a "listening board" as an artist. Jana Wendt is one of Australian best-known journalists and now has a new string to her bow. She's just published her first work of fiction, The Far Side of the Moon and other stories. While the stories, for the most part, are not linked her characters are almost exclusively older people remembering past loves, successes and failures. Jana Wendt shared with Claire Nichols why she made the shift from fact to fiction. Screenwriter and novelist Thomas Vowles talks about the pain that inspired his first novel, Our New Gods which is about a lost, gay young man whose longing to belong exposes him to deception and exploitation. It's set in Melbourne's queer scene, between share houses, bath houses and the pool and The Book Show's Sarah L'Estrange visits him in his own share house from where he "watches the world go by".

Swingathon boss lifts the lid on England's notorious ‘sex festival'
Swingathon boss lifts the lid on England's notorious ‘sex festival'

News.com.au

time4 hours ago

  • News.com.au

Swingathon boss lifts the lid on England's notorious ‘sex festival'

If you think festival season is all about flower crowns and muddy fields, think again. Deep in England's Lincolnshire countryside, there's a gathering in the sleepy town of Allington that only those 'in the know' dare to visit. Dubbed by The Sun 's sex writer as 'Glastonbury with orgies and Love Island -style beauties,' Swingathon, now in its fifth year, isn't your typical festival. But speaking to 's In the Newsroom podcast, its organiser, Matt Cole, insists it still has elements of a standard festival. 'It's got live music and entertainment, but it's for people in the lifestyle,' Mr Cole told the podcast. For those not familiar with 'the lifestyle', swinging involves people from all walks of life – LGBTQIA+, queer, couples, and anyone willing to explore non-monogamy. The three-day event held last weekend marked its biggest turnout yet, with nearly 1000 revellers descending on the small town – which was more than the entire local population. But despite its fun ethos, the event drew serious complaints last year from nearby residents who claimed they heard loud, hours-long 'moaning' sounds coming from the campgrounds. Mr Cole insists that this was only half true. 'Yes, we had (moaning), but the complaints are basically a lie. We are three miles (4.8km) from the nearest village, so if anyone can scream that loud … that's a scream,' he laughed. He believes that much of the negative press comes from locals disagreeing with the festival's premise. The event is mainly made up of couples, with a two-person ticket setting you back around $470 AUD and singles around $400. This year, there were around 100 single men and 50-60 single women in attendance. In terms of the age bracket, the average age is 37, which is much younger than many would expect. 'The youngest that we let in was 21 and the oldest guy was 69,' he shared. So what actually goes on behind the gates? By day, the festival – which sees people rock up in anything from their birthday suits, lingerie and fancy dress – hosts lots of different events. 'We have a UV party, a social night, workshops, live talks, and demonstrations,' Mr Cole explains. But they're not just standard demonstrations. 'Some of them might be like flogging, wax play or rope play,' he says. 'Or pole dancing, burlesque classes and massage classes'. There are also hot tubs, sex games, foam parties, and mobile dungeons. Butt plug bingo is one of the more interesting events, which is bingo with a cheeky twist to it (you win the adult-themed toy at the end). In terms of the actual swinging, there are sanctioned tents where people can go if they're interested in exploring some adult fun. 'It's all controlled,' Mr Cole explains. 'There's group tents, then there's voyeur tents – all sorts of tents for everybody'. But before you think it's all debauchery, Mr Cole says that many don't even go for that reason. Many simply attend for the liberating, body positivity aspect. 'They just go to be around like-minded people,' he says. 'It's not what people think. You don't just turn up and start swinging. A lot of friendships get made, and people leave with so much more confidence than when they started.'

Miss Austen
Miss Austen

ABC News

time4 hours ago

  • ABC News

Miss Austen

Miss Austen NEW SERIES Period Drama Relationships Heartfelt Watch Episode 1 Article share options Share this on Facebook Twitter Send this by Email Copy link WhatsApp Messenger The drama begins in 1830, a while after Jane has died. Cassandra races to see her young friend Isabella who is about to lose her home following her father's death. Cassandra is there to help her friend, but her real motive is to find a stash of private letters which could destroy Jane's reputation.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store