Prince William was 'concerned' about Meghan Markle settling into life as a royal

During their joint interview with Oprah which aired last year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle candidly spoke about the difficulties they faced during their time as working members of the royal family.

As a result of the intense media scrutiny they faced, Meghan discussed her mental health struggles and said that things became so overwhelming during her first pregnancy that she 'just didn't want to be alive anymore... and that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought', telling the chat show host: 'I just didn't see a solution.'

However, the couple said they are now 'thriving' since moving overseas and settling in California, US with their two children, Archie Harrison and Lilibet Diana.

In the new royal biography The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor, the Truth and the Turmoil, journalist Tina Brown has claimed that while Harry wanted to marry Meghan 'as quickly as possible' William had concerns about how quickly their relationship was moving and he 'feared' that his brother and sister-in-law would struggle with the pressures of being in the spotlight.

She writes: 'A person close to the Duke of Cambridge told me that William thought she should have more time to build up a life in the UK and make friends who didn’t always have to be brought in confidence to the Palace. It had been hard enough for Kate, but Meghan was a glamorous actress who would be the first woman of colour to join the Royal Family, factors that would add enormously to the pressure.

'Unspoken to Harry, the person said, was the older brother’s fear that Harry’s mental fragility was such that he wouldn’t be strong enough to handle all of that on her behalf, as well as his own issues.'

The Palace has not yet commented on the claims.

The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor, the Truth and the Turmoil by Tina Brown is now available to buy.