King Charles feared being ‘overshadowed’ by Meghan Markle, Prince Harry says 

King Charles allegedly feared being ‘overshadowed’ by the Duchess of Sussex, and expressed concerns about having to support her financially, Prince Harry claimed.

The Duke of Sussex claimed his father said he was already worried about the cost of helping William and Kate as Harry’s relationship with Meghan blossomed, and asked whether the Suits actress wanted to continue in her profession.

Writing in his memoirs, Spare, Harry said his father then warned him that his family was ‘not made of money’, and that he could not afford to support anyone else.

But Harry said he felt Charles’ concern was less rooted in economics and more to do with jealousy.

King Charles allegedly feared being ‘overshadowed’ by the Duchess of Sussex, and expressed concerns about having to support her financially, Prince Harry claimed (Pictured: The then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III talking with the Duchess of Sussex and the Duke of Sussex and the then Duke of Cambridge (left) as they attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London in March 2019)

Writing in his memoirs, Spare, Harry said his father then warned him that his family was ‘not made of money’, and that he could not afford to support anyone else

He said his father had a healthy income from the ‘lucrative’ Duchy of Cornwall estate.

And he added that Charles did not support either the Sussexes or the Cambridges financially, with the exception of gifts.

He said those gifts were in recognition of his sons’ dedication to serving the monarchy by carrying out royal engagements doled out to them.

Harry likened the set-up to being kept ‘in a golden cage’, unable to properly move, and being ‘fed and clothed’ in return by their ‘guards’.

The prince said he considered telling his father that the cost of providing Meghan with food and shelter was minimal, given that she did not have a large appetite, and that she could also make her own clothes.

Instead, Harry wrote it ‘became obvious’ that his father ‘couldn’t stand’ someone who would ‘take centre stage’.

He said he felt convinced his father was concerned Meghan would ‘overshadow’ him and Camilla.

The reality, Prince Harry claims to have realised, was that the King had previously experienced being cast into the shadow and could not face ‘a novel and resplendent’ royal who would take the limelight from him and Queen Camilla and ‘dominate the monarchy’, according to The Telegraph’s interpretation of the memoirs, which prematurely went on sale in Spain this week.

The Duke of Sussex claimed his father said he was already worried about the cost of helping William and Kate as Harry’s relationship with Meghan blossomed, and asked whether the Suits actress wanted to continue in her profession (Pictured: The trio at Meghan’s first Trooping The Colour in 2018) 

The Duke said his father experienced such a thing before, and ‘had no interest’ in letting it happen to him again.

The book does not explicitly state who previously ‘overshadowed’ his father, although Diana, the late Princess of Wales, was dubbed ‘the People’s Princess’ due to her strong affinity with the public.

Charles is reckoned to be worth £900 million after the death of his beloved mother last year, while his son William is predicted by The Sunday Times to now be worth £1 billion after inheriting his father’s Duchy of Cornwall estate.

Harry and Meghan are estimated to be worth £20 million, although brand experts have said that their new life in the US, coupled with their royal connection, could earn them many times that.

According to the latest figures, the Royal Family’s cash and assets have been estimated to be between £20 billion and £24 billion, although this includes £1.4 billion of property such as Buckingham Palace, which only belongs to the monarch in an official capacity.

The Crown Estate is worth £16.5 billion.