WRITTEN IN THE STARS

Penny Thornton, a British astrologer who was one of Princess Diana’s closest confidants during the tumultuous first decade of her marriage to Prince Charles, talks about the Sussexes

“I think Diana would love Meghan,” Penny told YOU when she recently visited South Africa to promote her new book, The Zodiac Cooks. “But what’s really important here is that she would’ve loved anyone Harry loved. “Because she loved those boys so much and because she was such an open-hearted person, she would’ve helped Meghan. She would’ve been there for advice and in times to come she would no doubt have become an annoying grandmother,” Penny adds with a laugh. Harry and Meghan’s union will have its ups and downs but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to work, she says. “The most important thing for anybody getting married is that you love that person more than anything else in the world. That’s the rocket launcher into a relationship, but it’s also what will steer you through those rough times.” She believes Harry and Meghan have what it takes to go the distance. “I think they’re passionate about each other. They seem to truly love each other.” Yet they’re very different. “Astrologically speaking, we’re looking at the elements fire and earth – two totally different elements. “Fire [Meghan is a Leo] is all enthusiastic and gregarious and outgoing and ‘Let’s do it now, let’s go for broke’, whereas an earth sign [Harry is a Virgo] is much more cautious and reflective and, ‘Nope, let’s put this on hold for a minute, let’s think about this a bit more.’ “So you’re going to have that dynamic going on in their relationship. And it’s fine in the early stages when these differences are like magic – you feel like the other person completes you because ‘you have what I don’t have’.

“But five, six years down the line this becomes more difficult. At the end of the day it will really come down to their level of love.

“I think they’ve both made a huge commitment to this marriage. And they’re not going to give up at the first post.”

So what does the future hold for the couple?

We should expect the unexpected from Harry and Meghan, Penny says.

“This isn’t a cloning of Kate and William. These are two people from totally different worlds. They’re going to do their own thing. They’re going to be as independent as they can be from the royal code. They’re going to spend time out of the country on humanitarian work. They’re going to be determined to follow their cause – to help people.”

Luckily for the couple, Penny believes they’ll be given much more freedom than William and Kate, thanks to Harry’s lower place in the line of succession.

Still, this doesn’t mean Meghan won’t butt heads with the royal rule-makers from time to time. As an actress, Meghan already proved her mettle in Hollywood.

“That kind of drive is admirable but does it meld well within the royal world?” Penny says. “That could become a problem. She’ll be conscious of her image and wanting to drive that narrative herself. And I think this will be where Meghan rubs up against the establishment.”

And yes, she’s a Leo. All Leos are colourful, dramatic and a little bit “me first”, Penny adds.

She believes we can expect to hear the pitter-patter of little feet soon. “Or as soon as they can make it happen.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if, within 18 months, we meet a little Harry or Meghan.”

With the Duchess of Sussex being from the US the concept of monarchy is a bit alien, so it’s been a great learning curve she’s taken in her stride and managed incredibly well

– Dickie Arbiter, Queen Elizabeth’s former spokesman