Meghan thought she was going to be the "Beyoncé of the UK", a former palace insider has claimed in a new book.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have had an extended stay in Britain away from their home in California following the death of the Queen.
They returned to the US after "efforts on both sides" were made to heal rifts with their royal relatives, said Meghan's friend and TV host Gayle King.
The rift between the Sussexes and other members of the Royal Family has been seen in headlines over the past couple of years where Harry and Meghan have been critical of their life in the UK when talking to American media since their move to the sunshine state.
Referring to the handling of events in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan's departure from the UK in 2020, a book written by The Times' royal correspondent Valentine Low quotes a source claiming it was "incompetent beyond belief".
In an extract of 'Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown', an ex-palace insider tells the author: "I think Meghan thought she was going to be the Beyoncé of the UK. Being part of the royal family would give her that kudos.
"Whereas what she discovered was that there were so many rules that were so ridiculous that she couldn’t even do the things that she could do as a private individual, which is tough . . . It just required the decision-makers to sit around a table and say, ‘OK, what are we going to do about this?
"What do you need to feel better? And what can we give?’”
Meghan has previously shared how she felt "silenced" and trapped while living as part of the Firm.
In her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Duchess described her disillusionment, saying officials "lied" to protect other royals instead of Harry and her.
Having been a working self-sufficient woman for many years, Meghan was shocked when officials even took her passport from her after her marriage.
She said: "When I joined that family, that was the last time I saw my passport, my driving licence, my keys - all of that gets turned over."
Meghan said she had been completely "naive" about what life as a royal would be like.
She also explained that being "judged" by outsiders unaware of the reality of her daily life was "really tricky".
Meghan said: "You're being judged on the perception but you are living the reality of it, there's a complete misalignment and there's no way to explain that to people."
She has since described finding her "happy ending" at home with Harry and her children in California.
And when US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres previously asked her what Harry loves about California, the Duchess replied: "We're just happy."
Meghan also told the audience: "I love to cook, we'll be (at) home and just relax and sort of settle in. It's our second Thanksgiving (at) home (in) California, so it will be nice."
Courtiers: the Hidden Power Behind the Crown by Valentine Low will be published on October 6 by Headline Books (£20)
