Bethenny Frankel has claimed that Meghan Markle‘s ex-husband Trevor Engelson was convinced his former spouse would marry Prince Harry from the moment she started dating the royal.

The Skinnygirl Margarita founder and original Real Housewife of New York, 54, got to know Meghan’s film producer ex at around the time her relationship with Harry became public in 2016.

Bethenny, who had no idea who Meghan was back then, claims that Trevor was immediately in no doubt that the then Suits actress would marry for a second time and have herself a royal wedding.

And less than two years later he was correct, with Meghan and Harry walking down the aisle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

Bethenny briefly dated Trevor, who is now happily married to his second wife Tracey Kurland, and his previous marriage quickly came up in conversation as they got to know each other.

‘He said his ex was a woman from a show called Suits. I didn’t know what the show was. I didn’t know the woman’, she said.

‘Months later I see pictures showing Harry’s dating someone and texted him: “Is this your ex?”.’

Trevor said: ‘Yup’.

She went on in a text to him: ‘Do you think she’s going to close?’ – a nod to close the deal, as in marry.

And Bethenny claims Trevor replied, knowingly: ‘Oh, she’ll close’.

She added: ‘I don’t want to get into more about that but he was like, “She’ll close”.’

Bethenny Frankel has claimed on The Toast podcast that Meghan Markle ‘s ex-husband Trevor Engelson was convinced she would marry Prince Harry from the moment she started dating the royal

Bethenny said Trevor told her that he was divorced and was previously married to Meghan, but she had no idea who she was

She previously revealed that she texted Trevor on the eve of the royal wedding: ‘Holy s**t, your ex is going to be a princess.’

Meghan and Trevor first started dating in 2004, before marrying in September 2011. They separated in August 2013 and divorced in 2014, with papers citing ‘irreconcilable differences’.

The couple were granted a no-fault divorce.

It was reported previously that Meghan had posted her wedding ring back to Trevor having ultimately decided their marriage was over.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2017, Meghan’s half-brother Thomas Markle Jr blamed the couple’s break-up on ‘the pressure of Hollywood’.

After the split, Meghan went on to date Canadian celebrity chef Cory Vitiello, before being introduced to Prince Harry by mutual friend Misha Nonoo in May 2016. Nine years on the Sussexes have two children and are settled in Montecito.

Bethenny Frankel was speaking about Meghan and Trevor on an episode of The Toast, a podcast with Claudia Oshry.

In it Bethenny was also asked about the so-called photo-gate row that saw pictures of the Sussexes partying at Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party, only for the images to be deleted.

Ms Frankel claimed they were deleted at Harry and Meghan’s request and alleged that it was because they didn’t want the public to see them ‘hobnobbing with the Kardashians’.

She added: ‘Meghan is trying to be so many different things’.

Bethenny has been highly critical of the couple in the past, especially Meghan.

After their notorious Oprah interview where they criticised the Royal Family she tweeted: ‘Cry me a river … the plight of being a game show host, fairly unknown actress, to suffering in a palace, w tiaras & 7 figure weddings for TWO WHOLE YEARS to being a household name with Oprah Winfrey on speed dial’.

Meghan is pictured with her ex-husband Trevor in August 2006, in New York. They were married

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, pictured arriving at Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party at Jeff Bezos’s house

The former Real Housewife of New York met Trevor in 2016.

She and Trevor bumped into one another in Chicago’s Soho House and ‘flirted’.

They later met in LA but their relationship went from romantic to professional.

She said they had chemistry – but it became a strictly professional relationship as they are working together on a show.

‘There is a little sizzle there,’ Bethenny told Australian breakfast radio program Kyle and Jackie O in 2018.

‘He lives in Los Angeles, and I live in New York,’ Bethenny said. ‘We haven’t slept together, we haven’t hooked up… I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it.’

‘He looks a little like my ex which scares me,’ she added. ‘We bypassed the romantics and went into the business.’

However, Bethenny admitted: ‘I feel like there is something there.’

‘There is something there. Something salacious about doing a TV project with Meghan Markle’s ex. I like it, there is a little sizzle there,’ she added. ‘I can make chicken salad out of that chicken s**t for sure.’

Bethenny Frankel briefly dated Meghan Markle’s ex-husband but they went on to work together

Bethenny met Trevor in Chicago as a ‘romantic interest’, with the pair often exchanging texts.

She said Trevor told her the was divorced and was previously married to Meghan – but she had no idea who she was.

Bethenny said: ‘So he told me that at hhe was married before. He’s divorced, he was married to this girl called Meghan Markle, from the TV show, Suits. I said, “Oh okay”.

‘So six months later, I’m like, “Holy s**t, your ex is going to be a princess! Isn’t that crazy?”