Meghan Markle's former friend was worried about her joining the Royal Family

She knew Meghan would have to give up acting.

2016 U.S. Open - Day 10 Actress Meghan Markle watching Serena Williams of the United States in action against Simona Halep of Romania in the Women's Singles Quarterfinal match on Arthur Ashe Stadium on day ten of the 2016 US Open Tennis Tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 7, 2016 in Flushing, Queens, New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Biographer Tom Bower’s new book, Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors, is out today, 21 July, after weeks of trepidation.

Tom is known for being extremely critical of his subjects, who have previously included Simon Cowell, Prince Charles, and Tony Blair. In Revenge, he is true to himself, delivering bombshell after bombshell about the lives, romance and royal exit of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

In a chapter titled “The Catch,” the author goes into detail about how the Sussexes met — introduced by Violet von Westenholz — and their early dating life and quick engagement. To find out the ins and outs of what happened, Tom spoke to Gina Nelthorpe-Cowne, Meghan’s former friend and advisor, who was one of the future duchess’s confidantes at the time.

Just a few months after the Suits actress and the prince first met, he asked her to accompany him to Botswana. “Nelthorpe-Cowne was incredulous,” Tom writes. “‘I understood straightaway,’ she recalled, ‘that Meghan would mesmerise that broken-hearted young boy we saw following his mother’s coffin. I was almost as excited as she was about her conquest. Anyone taken to Botswana in those circumstances would fall in love.’ On reflection, Nelthorpe-Cowne remembers foreseeing problems.”

Though she was happy for her friend’s exciting new romance, Gina couldn’t help but think about Meghan’s career and what would become of it if she were to marry into the Royal Family (at this point, it already seemed clear that an engagement was likely on the cards).

“‘Have you any idea what you’re doing?’ she asked,” Tom continues. “Harry, she explained, was clearly thinking about marriage. ‘Do you realise you won’t be able to make any more movies? Royal duties will be your life.'”

According to the author, Meghan wasn’t happy about Gina’s warning, and reportedly told her: “Stop. Be quiet. I don’t want to hear any negativity. This is a happy time for us.”

It’s worth noting at this point that Tom didn’t speak to Meghan directly in reporting this book, so we don’t know her side of the story.

The Duchess of Sussex has not yet commented.

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