Prince William’s warning to Prince Harry about moving too quickly with Meghan Markle is receiving renewed attention after a royal historian argued that the advice was reasonable.
Marlene Koenig said Harry and Meghan’s short courtship gave the future Duchess of Sussex limited time to experience the rules, scrutiny and loss of privacy attached to becoming a working member of the royal family.
Harry confirmed in his 2023 memoir, Spare, that William encouraged him to slow down before proposing and questioned whether the relationship was progressing too quickly.
Harry interpreted his brother’s caution as discouragement at a time when he was excited about building a future with Meghan.
Harry Said William Warned Him the Relationship Was Moving Too Fast
View this post on Instagram
Harry and Meghan began dating in July 2016 after being introduced by a mutual connection. According to Harry’s account in Spare, William was cautious about the relationship before the couple became engaged.
“It’s too fast,” Harry recalled his brother saying about a possible proposal. He wrote that William considered it “too soon” and had previously warned him about the complications that could accompany a relationship with an American actress.
Harry said the response hurt because he had been eager for William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, to meet Meghan. He viewed the questions as resistance to the relationship. At one point, Harry recalled asking William, “What do you want me to do? Fall out of love with her?”
A Historian Says a Longer Courtship Could Have Helped
Koenig supported William’s position in comments to the Mirror, republished by AOL. “William was right to advise Harry to take his time and not rush into marriage,” she said. Koenig argued that Meghan would have benefited from more time to observe the expectations placed on working royals before accepting a permanent role within the institution.
She compared the Sussexes’ relationship with the longer courtships of William and Catherine and Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. Koenig noted that both couples spent years together before marrying, allowing Catherine and Sophie to become familiar with royal responsibilities before taking on full-time duties.
“Meghan was not afforded that time,” Koenig said, suggesting that living together for several years could have provided a clearer picture of the life she was entering.
Harry and Meghan Became Engaged After About 18 Months
Harry and Meghan said during their engagement interview that they had been together for approximately a year and a half. They maintained a long-distance relationship but said they rarely went more than two weeks without seeing each other.
Their engagement was announced on November 27, 2017, after Harry proposed at Nottingham Cottage earlier that month. They married at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018, less than two years after their first dates in London.
Harry and Meghan announced in January 2020 that they intended to step back from their positions as senior working royals and pursue financial independence. Their transition out of official duties took effect that spring.
Buckingham Palace confirmed on February 19, 2021, that the couple would not return as working members of the royal family. The statement said they remained “much loved members of the family.”