Prince Harry Was "Disappointed" in How His Mother's Relatives Reacted to Meghan, Royal Expert Claims

Royal insiders are claiming there is a very specific reason Prince Harry was disappointed with the perceived reluctance of his immediate family and friends to approve of his whirlwind romance with Meghan Markle. Investigative journalist Tom Bower, author of Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors, believes Harry thought his late mother Princess Diana's family would be more understanding of Meghan, and see the parallels in their lives, but that wasn't the case.

Here's what Bower says causes significant tension with Harry and his relatives. Keep reading to learn more— and to explore the secrets of the Royal Family, don't miss these Biggest Royal Romance Scandals of All Time.

According to Bower, Harry believed Diana's sisters would warm to his then-girlfriend immediately. "Harry had introduced Meghan to Diana's two sisters, Jane and Sarah, and her best friend Julia Samuel," Bower says. "Harry assumed that Diana's family and friends would see a similarity between Diana and his fiancée."

Bower says Harry thought his aunts would understand where Meghan was coming from, as an outsider marrying into the Royal Family. "Both, he said, shared the same problems," Bower says. "He was disappointed. No one agreed that his vulnerable mother had anything in common with his girlfriend." Not only that, but Diana's brother Earl Spencer was reportedly asked to give his opinion. "Their unease was voiced by Charles Spencer, Diana's brother. At William's request, Spencer weighed in."

According to Bower, Jane and Sarah believed Meghan would not "fit in," and Earl Spencer echoed those sentiments. "Three times married, Spencer cautioned his nephew to reconsider his haste towards marriage," Bower says. "His advice provoked a bitter reaction. 'This was going to be really hard,' Harry would later reflect on establishing Meghan's place in the family."

Bower says contrary to other reports, Meghan was encouraged to continue her career as an actress if that's what she wanted. "Omid Scobie, her official biographer, would accurately summarize her exit from Hollywood. 'She wanted a more meaningful career,' he wrote," Bower says,"'She could be doing so much more with her platform.' Her frustration remained. She was tantalizingly close to sealing her future, but nothing was official."

Harry's memoir is set to be published in January, and insiders say the Royal Family are nervous. "Don't forget, the British royal family is there by consent," says Valentine Low, the author of Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition and the Power Players Behind the House of Windsor. "They need to earn and keep the respect of the British public. If that is ever damaged in a fundamental and permanent way, that could be very serious."