An unexpected royal just majorly defended Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Cosmopolitan

18-07-2025

For those not fully up to speed on the royal family's drama, let's have a quick recap: back in January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they would be 'stepping down' from their roles as senior working members of the royal family, amid cruel stories about Meghan from the tabloids. Later, they headed off to start anew in California with their son, Archie, later joined by daughter Lilibet, explaining they wanted to live a less public-facing life.
Following on from this, the couple embarked on a range of solo endeavours, from Prince Harry's tell-all book Spare (which was sadly less than complimentary about his family, notably his brother Prince William) to Meghan's lifestyle brand, As Ever.
One key issue at the heart of the rift has been Harry's push to have his high-level security reinstated, something he lost access to after stepping down from his royal working life (and which he argued was unfair, as his personal risk as a public figure had not decreased, but which the courts ultimately did not support).
This, Harry has explained on multiple occasions, is part of what stops him and Meghan from visiting the UK on a regular basis.
Now, an unexpected royal has spoken up in defence of Meghan and Harry – and their security predicament – with Princess Delphine of Belgium airing her sympathies on the It's Reigning Men podcast, which discusses all-things royal.
Speaking to host Daniel Rosney, Princess Delphine said, "I think there is this thing about security. I think it's to do with what happened to his mother. I understand the guy. He's just traumatised."
She added, "I understand, so he's doing these things, and everybody's bullying him, but not thinking about his trauma and I just find it terrible because he's just been kind of left."
The Princess also fondly recalled Prince Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, who she said was a "part of my life when I was in England".
"She had these children and everything, and then this death was just horrible," Delphine, who is an artist and known for her fashion flair, expanded. "Especially seeing these two children left by a very, I thought, natural, nice, normal motherly woman.
"They lost such an important figure, and I feel very sorry for Harry because I think that was traumatic for him. William didn't have a choice. I think Harry suffered so much, and I think he was traumatised and it's coming out now."
Far from having an ordinary life herself, Delphine has also had a difficult experience with the press; growing up, she was seen as an illegitimate child of King Albert II, who had an affair with her mother. It took her two decades of fighting to be recognised by a DNA test, in order to prove her paternity.
As you might imagine, after her story broke the press intrusion was intense – much like it has been for Meghan and Harry.
Elsewhere, it's said that King Charles' personal team had a productive conversation and with a member of staff for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and Meghan recently hinted she was posted out a sweet birthday gift to Queen Camilla, so perhaps there's a proper reconciliation to be had after all.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC's Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women's Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.