Prince Philip was ‘reluctant to be charmed’ by Meghan Markle – and gave Prince Harry a cutting warning before their wedding

The Duke of Edinburgh – along with Kate Middleton and Camilla – did not attend the meeting between the Queen, the then Prince Charles, Prince William and Harry to discuss the pair’s future role within the Monarchy.

The reason for Philip’s noted absence, Seward claimed, was that the duke simply wanted to wash his hands of the whole sorry affair.
She added: ‘Of course, it irritates him hugely. And when they had the Sandringham Summit, Prince Philip was seen leaving the house very swiftly before they all arrived.
‘He simply doesn’t want to get involved any more.’
Yet Philip’s concerns for Meghan’s suitability are likely to have been rooted in past experience, with the Suits star certainly not the first Hollywood actress to have entered the royal fold and caused quite the stir.

Aged 21, former prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor began a relationship with American actress Koo Stark after the pair met on a blind date at the beginning of 1982.
Stark, then aged 24, later recalled how the two became ‘instantly inseparable’.

While a seemingly unlikely pairing – their budding relationship continued through to April when Andrew then left to serve in the Falklands War.
The loved-up pair continued speaking throughout the conflict, with Koo, who travelled to Balmoral with a pair of pink plastic cowboy boots, patiently waiting to meet Andrew at the royal residence upon his return that September – unbeknown to the late Queen.