Royal Expert Makes Bold Claims About Meghan Markle

About a year after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry moved to the United States after stepping down as senior members of the royal family, they decided to do an interview with Oprah Winfrey in which they candidly told their side of the story — providing the public with some of the reasons why they felt they needed to leave the UK. In that interview, which aired back on March 7, Meghan revealed that she struggled with mental illness — to the point where she was suicidal. "Look, I was really ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry especially, because I know how much loss he has suffered, but I knew that if I didn't say it, then I would do it. I just didn't want to be alive anymore," Meghan told Oprah, according to NBC News.

Meghan also revealed that there were "concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie's] skin might be when he [was] born" within The Firm, though she and Harry declined to share who, specifically, voiced these concerns. Alas, these are just a handful of the reasons that Meghan and Harry decided they needed a change. Of course, there are some people who don't believe these claims, and a royal expert by the name of Phil Dampier is the latest on that list. Read on to find out the bold claims that he made about the Duchess of Sussex.

Did Meghan Markle ever really want to live a royal life?

Royal author Phil Dampier told The Sun's Fabulous Reporter that he believes that Meghan Markle was planning an exit strategy from royal life for years. "I don't buy this that they didn't help to protect Meghan and I don't buy she was driven out by racism. I don't think her heart was really in it. When you look at some of the projects she's got involved with and they were seemingly planning a couple of years ago," he shared.

Dampier went on to say that he doesn't think that Meghan had any plans to live a life of service as a duchess. "I personally think she never intended to stay in the royal family. I'm afraid that blaming members of the royal family and courtiers and how they were treated is just an excuse for what they have done and to justify what they've done," he told The Sun.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.