Queen Elizabeth’s childhood friend criticizes Meghan Markle: I feel ‘very sorry’ for Harry

Queen Elizabeth’s childhood friend, Lady Glenconner, 91, has slammed Meghan Markle.

Her friendship with the late monarch dates back more than 50 years, as the British socialite was one of Queen Elizabeth’s six maids of honor at her 1953 coronation. Lady Glenconnor was also a lady of waiting to the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, from 1971 until the Princess’ death in 2002.

Speaking on the Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth podcast, Lady Glenconner said about the Duchess of Sussex, 42, “I think the thing about Meghan was, she had no idea what was expected of her really. I think she just thought it was sort of like being another actress, you know. Riding around in a golden coach and everything like that. And actually, being a member of the Royal Family — a lot of it is extremely boring.”

Lady Glenconnor — who wrote a book about her life called “Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown” — is also known as Anne Tennant, Baroness Glenconner. She was briefly engaged to Johnnie Althorp, Princess Diana’s late father, before the engagement was broken off. She later married Colin Christopher Paget Tennant (from 1956 until his death in 2010), and the Queen and Princess Margaret were guests at her wedding. She has appeared in the third and fourth seasons of Netflix’s royal drama “The Crown,” played by Grace Stone and Nancy Carroll.

Markle herself has confirmed that she was taken aback by royal life. In her controversial Netflix documentary series, “Harry and Meghan,” Markle said, “Joining this family, I knew that there was a protocol for how things were done.”

She added: “There’s no class and some person who goes, ‘Sit like this. Cross your legs like this. Use this fork. Don’t do this. Curtsy then. Wear this kind of hat.’ It doesn’t happen.”

That included memorizing the words to the British national anthem.

“I Googled it, and I’d sit there and I’d practice and I’d practice,” she remembered.

She also spoke about being surprised by how “formal” Prince William and Kate Middelton were. 

“When Will and Kate came over for dinner, I remember I was in ripped jeans and was barefoot. I have always been a hugger, I didn’t realize that’s jarring for a lot of Brits. I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside,” she said. “You close the door and you’re like, ‘Okay you can relax now!’ But, that formality carried through on both sides. That was surprising to me.”

Glenconner said that she feels “very sorry” for Prince Harry, 39. 

Lady Glenconner revealed that during the coronation of King Charles III, she sat next to John Kerry and asked him what Americans think of Harry and Meghan. 

“He said, ‘We all feel very, very sorry for Harry. I think I can just leave it at that,’” the former Secretary of State said, according to Glenconner.