- Chloe Savage, maker of Meghan Markle’s wedding dresses, said that Markle “misjudged the role” of being royalty.
- Savage said Kate Middleton had “a lot of time to adjust,” while Markle “plunged in.”
- “The royal family has destroyed people before,” said Savage, adding later: “It virtually broke Diana.”
- Visit the Insider home page for more stories.
As one of the women who helped make Meghan Markle’s iconic wedding dress, professional embroiderer Chloe Savage took a behind-the-scenes look at the royal wedding that would catch the world’s attention.
Moving forward almost three years, Markle and Prince Harry took a step back from the royal family to make their own way in California with their 20-month-old son, Archie.
It is a movement that surprised many. But Savage told Insider that he believed the former actress was not adequately prepared for the pressure that comes from being royalty.
Markle and Prince Harry were married in May 2018.
Ben STANSALL – WPA Pool / Getty Images
“I think she misjudged the role,” said Savage. “The royal family has destroyed people before. Kate had a lot of time to adapt and adjust to that. They gave her time, while Meghan kind of plunged into it.”
While Kate Middleton and Prince William dated for eight years before the 2011 wedding, Markle and Harry announced their engagement just a year after publicly confirming their relationship.
Read More: Designers of Princess Diana’s iconic wedding dress are fighting for historical sketches of him in court
Savage said he did not think Markle was prepared for all the “rules and regulations” required of a British king.
“It practically broke Diana; it broke Sarah Ferguson,” said Savage. “It has broken people before. I know it’s more loose now than it used to be, but even so, I don’t think [Meghan] she was prepared for the things she could or could not do, say and wear. “
She added: “She could have taken on a remarkable role, but I think she found it very difficult. She was always able to do what she wanted when she was satisfied and, unfortunately, with the royal family, the grandmother’s rules – simply.”
Representatives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Chloe Savage, the seamstress, said she did not believe that Markle was prepared for all the “rules and regulations” required of a British king.
Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP Photo
Markle and Harry were open about the immense pressure they have felt in recent years
Harry said recently that the media released a “false narrative” about his relationship with Markle.
“My story was told in a way, my wife’s story was told in a way, and then our union generated something that made the story of this story very different,” he said. Fast Company in an interview published Friday.
“This false narrative has become the mother ship of all the harassment you are referring to. It wouldn’t even have started if our story had been told with sincerity ”, he added.
Markle and Harry were open about the immense pressure they have felt in recent years.
Pool / Samir Hussein / WireImage
Markle said she was not prepared for the attention she would get from British tabloids after she started dating Harry
“It’s difficult. I don’t think anyone can understand that, but in all fairness, I had no idea,” she told journalist Tom Bradby in her famous heartfelt interview, featured in the ITV documentary “Harry and Meghan: an African journey” in 2019.
Markle said that when she told her British friends that she was dating Harry, they told her to end this.
“My British friends said to me, ‘I’m sure he’s great, but you shouldn’t do that because the British tabloids are going to destroy your life,'” she told Bradby.
But Markle said he thought they were overreacting.
“What are you talking about? It doesn’t make sense. I’m not in tabloids,” she remembers telling them. “I did not understand.”
The Duchess of Sussex said she then ‘tried to adopt that British sensitivity of a rigid upper lip’
Markle said his British friends said the tabloids would “destroy your life”.
Max Mumby / Indigo / Getty images
“I tried, I tried. But I think what it does internally is probably very damaging,” added Markle. “It is not enough just to survive something, right? That is not the purpose of life. You have to prosper; you have to feel happy.”
More recently, Bradby said he thought the couple had been “satisfied” with their new life in the United States since leaving the royal family.
“I think they are feeling better, yes,” Bradby said on ITV’s “Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh” earlier this month.
“So they are unhappy? No,” he added. “I think they are satisfied. The things they are doing are very enthusiastic.”