Royal author Paul Burrell believes that Meghan Markle is smothering Prince Harry, and that there will come a time when he will want out of this treatment and return to the U.K.

The biographer, who served as Princess Diana's butler, commented about the couple's relationship after the Duchess of Sussex was pictured wiping the lipstick mark she left on her husband's face after they kissed at a polo match. Body language expert Judi James had said that the 40-year-old displayed "over-possessive and maternal" behaviour.

Speaking about James' observations with OK! magazine, Burrell said, "I thought that Meghan was this breath of fresh air who would modernise the royal family and bring all the vital elements that were missing, but what kind of love is this? I feel that, from her body language at the polo, she came across as smothering."

"I think people have missed the fact he married a 36-year-old woman. That is very significant because his mother was 36 when she died. I think he was looking for someone mature to guide him," Burrell pointed out.

Read more

He claimed that Prince Harry "wasn't looking for a fling" but "for someone serious to put him back on the path he'd lost because his mother died. His heart broke and nobody could fix it until Meghan came along. Meghan fixed it."

However, the author is not convinced that the Duke of Sussex is "totally happy" with his life in California with Meghan Markle. He claimed that playing polo in Santa Barbara is not going to cut it if he is "trying to resurrect his life" in England because it is unlike "the Guards Polo Club at Windsor where everyone he went to school with plays polo."

Burrell shared his concerns that Prince Harry may not be able to continue living the life he has right now away from his family in the U.K. He believes that the Duke of Sussex misses his brother Prince William, the royals, his friends, and the lifestyle he once had in England. He predicts that the 37-year-old will eventually realise that he wants to go back home where his brother will warmly welcome him back.

The British royals
Rumours that all was not well with the Sussexes surfaced in October when Harry, sixth in line to the throne, admitted that he and William were "on different paths" and had good and bad days in their relationship. Photo: AFP / Paul ELLIS
Prince Harry Meghan Markle