Meghan Markle Was Never Appreciated for What She Brought to the Royal Family, Royal Author Says

• Things haven't been the same in the royal family since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal exit last spring.
• According to royal author Sean Smith, who wrote Meghan Misunderstood, the royal family never really appreciated the gifts that Meghan brought to her work as a royal. 
• "Meghan Markle is not a dull person, she has a great deal of charisma that is now sadly missing in the Royal Family," Smith said.

Meghan Markle brought something special to the royal family—and they haven't been able to fill the Meghan-shaped hole she left behind after the royal exit, apparently.

In an interview with Daily Star, Sean Smith, author of Meghan Misunderstood, said that Meghan wasn't "appreciated" during her time with the royal family and that the sense of connection she brought to The Firm is "now missing." The special something Meghan brought to the British monarchy, according to Smith, boiled down to her charisma and empathy.

"Meghan would be great in politics, I think the speeches she give are very inspirational and I think she is a tremendous public speaker," Smith explained. "She is very, very articulate too and it is a gift that she brought to the Royal Family, a gift that was not properly appreciated."

Not only was Meghan's gift for public speaking and inspiring her audiences not appreciated in the way it should have been, but according to Smith, it's a magic the royals haven't been able to recapture without her.

"Meghan Markle is not a dull person, she has a great deal of charisma that is now sadly missing in the Royal Family," Smith said, explaining that getting a hug from the Duchess of Sussex was "fantastic" and that the "empathy she brought to certain situations...is just great."

"I don't want to knock members of the Royal Family, Prince William, Kate, and other members too, but Meghan has a different life experience than them," he added. "Meghan brought something that I think, is now missing."

Don't expect Meghan to return to royal life though. Earlier this month, royal author and expert Katie Nicholl explained that a return to royal life is unlikely for Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry.

"The general consensus is that this 'divorce' has worked," Nicholl told ET Online. "Meghan and Harry left the royal family to become independent, to become financially independent. They've absolutely achieved that this year. They can now look back a year on and probably celebrate their decision."