Harry and Meghan have given the world a first look at their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Video / AP
The Queen and her family will be "distressed" to hear that Meghan Markle did not feel "protected" during her pregnancy, a royal expert has claimed.
Royal editor Russell Myers told Lorraine Kelly on Good Morning Britain that the senior members of the royal family will be upset at new claims that Meghan Markle felt the Firm failed to protect her while she was pregnant with Archie in 2019.
The claim was made within the latest documents released as part of her High Court battle against the Associated Newspapers Ltd, publishers of The Mail On Sunday, over an article which reproduced parts of a letter she had sent to her father Thomas Markle in August 2018.
Myers added that upcoming books which will be published this summer and claiming to uncover "the truth" about Megxit were also likely to deepen the upset.
Speaking to Kelly, the royal expert said the situation was "very, very sad indeed" and added the royal family were likely to feel upset by the Duchess of Sussex's latest court submissions.
"They're all also disturbing readings for the royal family. They will be really, really distressed," he said.
He added he had looked back at the public statements the Queen had issued in January following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's announcement that they intended to withdraw from their royal duties.
A royal expert says Meghan's claims she wasn't supported during her pregnancy will be "distressing". Photo / Getty Images
"I think at the time, and certainly reading back on them now, they're very, very heartfelt," he said.
The Queen mentions family, how they took Meghan into their heart of the family, how she was so impressed with her.
"And certainly these claims that she felt unprotected, especially when pregnant, will be very, very distressing to hear for the Queen, Philip, Charles, Kate and William," he said.
In documents submitted in her legal case, Meghan claimed she felt "unprotected by the institution of the royal family" during her pregnancy and was "prohibited from defending herself" against media reports while pregnant.
In legal filings, her lawyers said Meghan had "become the subject of a large number of false and damaging articles by the UK tabloid media, specifically by the defendant, which caused tremendous emotional distress and damage to her mental health".
Kelly added she could not help feel these untimely revelations would divide the family further, and remarked: "This is not gonna help, is it? They looked like they were just coming together and then BAM you've got this."
However, the presenter noted that learning Meghan felt this way during her pregnancy was "very very sad".
Meghan's submissions also claimed that her royal wedding to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle raised more than £1billion in tourism revenue for Britain.
She also said the income generated for the public purse "far outweighed" the contribution of taxpayers' money towards crowd security in May 2018.
UK taxpayers contributed to the estimated £32 million cost of the wedding, although the church service, flowers and reception were paid for by the Royal Family.
The majority of the estimated figure - £30m - was funded by the taxpayer and mostly spent on security measures, including costs on protecting Windsor with a heavy police presence, crowd control and restrictions placed on businesses.
Claims made in upcoming book about the royal couple and their incredible exit from the royal family are likely to open some old wounds as well.
A new book, Royals at War, by investigative journalists Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett, reveals the former American actress' announcement didn't go down well with the Duke of Sussex, 35.
The book claimed Meghan "embarrassed" Harry after divulging she was pregnant during Princess Eugenie's wedding day "in a huge social gaffe" which left the bride and her mother Sarah Ferguson "furious".
The Duchess, 38, is said to have revealed she was carrying her first child when celebrating Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's nuptials with the rest of the Royal family on October 12, 2018.
