Meghan Markle believed there was a “conspiracy” hatched against her by royals once she moved into Kensington Palace during her courtship with Prince Harry.

Markle, 38, began to fear the palace’s courtiers were out to harm her reputation due to her American style of management once the couple moved into Frogmore Cottage.

“She was convinced there was a conspiracy against her and so she basically put herself in self isolation when they moved to Frogmore,” a friend told The Sunday Times.

“I think she felt like an outsider from the start. This wasn’t the life she was used to and she wanted out.”

She also began to feel isolated and missed her mom and friends in LA.  One friend told The Sunday Times that Meghan’s financial independence was a driving force behind her and Harry’s decision to leave the royals and flee the UK for sunny California.

“One of the things Meghan struggled with was not earning an income,” said a friend. “She has always worked and I think she felt unfulfilled. Having financial freedom was a big part of them wanting to leave.

Despite reports that Harry, 35, was struggling in LA , the couple developed a friendship with Adele, and the Duke of Sussex has befriended the Silicon Valley crowd and even Leonardo DiCaprio, who he met at last year’s Google Camp, reports The Sunday Times.

“I am sure their social life will consist of dinner parties with people they can trust and connect with,” Melanie Bromley, head of news operations for NBC’s E! channel told The Sunday Times.

“They are going to be very wary about opening up their social circle too much, as fraternizing with the wrong people has the potential to be hugely damaging to their image and plans.”

As the couple wait for quarantine restrictions to ease, they’re enjoying time with their 1-year-old son, Archie, in a Los Angeles mansion owned by Tyler Perry.