Meghan Markle ‘Wanted Out’ of Royal Family After ‘Realizing Prince William Would Control Her Purse Strings’ for Life With Prince Harry

Meghan Markle‘s royal future became crystal clear when she realized that future monarch Prince William would forever be in charge of her finances, causing her to “want out,” RadarOnline.com can reveal.

The Diva Duchess, 44, is said to have had a stark wake-up call when she realized she and Prince Harry would never control their own cash, with William, 43, ultimately holding the purse strings for the rest of their lives as working royals.

Meghan Markle ‘Wanted Out’ of Being a Working Royal

“When she realized that William was going to be in charge of how much they were getting for the rest of their lives, she wanted out,” a source close to the Sussexes told former People and Us Weekly Editor-in-Chief Dan Wakeford, who wrote about it on Substack.

While a source close to Markle claimed it was untrue, the duo quit royal life in 2020 after only 18 months of marriage, claiming they wanted the ability to seek “financial independence” on their own.

Meghan Markle Racked Up $500K Wardrobe Bill in First Year as a Royal

Markle and Prince Harry were bankrolled as working royals through the Duchy of Cornwall, then under the control of his father, King Charles III.

The now-monarch held the purse strings of the staggering $1.5 billion, centuries-old estate, the primary income stream for the heir to the throne, and at the time, that meant Charles was calling the shots.

He didn’t hold back on welcoming his daughter-in-law into the royal fold financially, footing the bill as Markle built up a jaw-dropping designer wardrobe packed with eye-wateringly expensive pieces. The former actress’s first year of clothing spending totaled more than $500,000, as she favored luxury European brands over British designers.

That sum didn’t include Markle’s $265,000 minimalist Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy wedding gown and $157,000 Stella McCartney reception dress.

Prince William Would Be In Charge of the Sussex’s Finances for Life

After marrying into the family, Markle would have quickly realized that upon the death of Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, William would take charge of the Duchy of Cornwall, and her financial future would be in his hands.

That would put him and his heir, Prince George, in a position for life, determining how much money she and Harry received annually to cover their expenses as working royals.

The Sussexes ultimately chose to seek their own financial path outside of the monarchy with their controversial Megxit decision.

King Charles Was Allegedly Unhappy About Having to Pay for Meghan Markle’s Expenses

Prince Harry wrote in his 2023 memoir, Spare, about how his father allegedly complained about having to support his future wife, in addition to himself, William, and Kate Middleton.

Charles spent $4.8 milllion to cover the trio’s expenses in 2017. The bill ballooned by nearly $2 million to a jaw-dropping $6.5 million in Markle’s first year as Prince Harry’s wife to fund public duties and private expenses.

Harry wrote that before he proposed to the Suits alum, he told his dad she planned to quit her acting career.

He said his father’s reply was that “there’s not enough money to go around.”

“I can’t pay for anyone else. I’m already having to pay for your brother and Catherine,” Charles allegedly told his son about taking on the additional expense of Markle.

Harry sneered in the book, “Pa might have dreaded the rising cost of maintaining us, but what he really couldn’t stomach was someone new dominating the monarchy, grabbing the limelight, someone shiny and new coming in and overshadowing him.”