A former lady-in-waiting to the late Queen’s youngest sister has seen her claims officially refuted in a US State Department statement.
Lady Anne Glenconner, a close friend to Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret, came under fire after claiming former US Secretary of State John Kerry openly commented about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s marriage during the King’s Coronation.
Lady Glenconner alleged the US politician admitted Americans felt “very, very sad for Prince Harry” when she struck up a conversation with him.
Speaking at The Barnes BookFest, she said: “I feel very sad for Harry because, at the King’s Coronation, I happened to sit next to somebody called John Kerry, who ran for president.
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“He wanted to be president. And he came over with Mrs. Biden, because he is into green things, and we were sitting with the King’s friends, and I said to him, ‘What do you think in America about Harry and Meghan?’ and he just said, ‘We all feel very, very sorry for Harry.’
“So I think I can just leave it at that.”
But a State Department spokesperson rejected the allegation and insisted Kerry would not comment on the private life of the Duke of Sussex and his wife.
They insisted Kerry had no recollection of the alleged conversation and insisted he would not be drawn into public discussions of a private nature.
The statement said: “Any implication that Secretary Kerry was commenting on the marriage would be wrong.
“Secretary Kerry does not remember being asked that question, but as a father in the public eye himself, he has nothing but empathy for people working through a family matter who all deserve privacy and compassion.”
Lady Glenconner’s statements extended to comments about Meghan’s preparedness to take on royal duties following her marriage to Harry.
She suggested the Duchess of Sussex had failed to grasp the extent of her role and likely struggled with the “boring” aspects of her new life.
The Baroness said: “I think the thing about Meghan was, she had no idea what was expected of her really.
“I think she just thought it was like being another actress, you know. Riding around in a golden coach and everything like that.
“Actually, being a member of the Royal Family—I mean I followed Princess Margaret for 34 years—a lot of it is extremely boring actually.”
