Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh was left "quite surprised" when Meghan Markle "snubbed" her despite her offer of friendship, according to a source.

As a fellow outsider who married into the Royal Family in 1999, Sophie felt that she could show Meghan the ropes and offer her some advice.

An insider told The Sun about a meeting between the two women, which at first seemed to go well: "It was just the two of them and they talked for hours.

"Meghan had so many questions and Sophie, who knows what it’s like navigating your way through the early days of transition from a commoner to a royal, gave freely of her advice.

"Sophie found Meghan likeable and engaging and told her that she could call her any time when she needed advice about dealing with some of the trickier royals. She was quite surprised when that was the last she heard from Meghan."

The source continued: "As she noted, it would’ve been nice to receive a return invitation to Frogmore Cottage (where Harry and Meghan were living at the time.)"

Sophie and her husband Prince Edward lived at Bagshot Park in Surrey, where she had hosted Meghan, close to the Sussex family home in Windsor.

One royal commentator believes that Meghan felt she did not need Sophie nor the help of any other royal, as she had Prince Harry by her side.

In his book 'Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait' Mr Brandreth wrote: "The Queen (who, of course, had seen it all before) understood Harry's girl might find adjusting to royal life 'challenging to begin with' (as she put it). 'It is very jolty, but you soon get used to it' — that was Her Majesty's experience going back many years.

"To help Meghan, the Queen suggested that her daughter-in-law, Sophie Wessex, would be an ideal mentor. 'Sophie can help show you the ropes,' said the Queen. Meghan made it clear that she did not feel she needed Sophie's help. She had Harry."

US-based royal commentator Kinsey Schofield concurred, as she told GB News: "Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, was very loving towards Meghan and attempted to have a relationship with her.

"The Queen actually suggested that the two get together and that Sophie mentor Meghan and Meghan said I've got Harry and she rejected that offer.

"I think that she was a great role model, and it was a missed opportunity for Meghan to learn how to navigate a difficult situation."

Harry and Meghan famously stepped down as working royals in 2020, less than two years after their Windsor wedding.

They have since spoken out about their time in the Firm through an interview with Oprah Winfrey, their Netflix series and Harry's explosive memoir Spare.