Jane Goodall debunks rumors about her friendship with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: 'I've only met them three times'

• Renowned conservationist Jane Goodall told People that despite rumors of being close friends with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, she's only met the couple a few times.
• "There's all this stuff in the press about being best friends, which is absolutely stupid," Goodall said. "We're not best friends. I've only met them three times. It's so silly."
• "Prince Harry is great. Really great," Goodall said. "And Meghan too."
• Goodall previously recalled visiting with the couple in summer 2019, saying that Harry told her that Archie wouldn't have a royal upbringing.

Renowned conservationist and primatologist Jane Goodall said that despite rumors of being close friends with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, she's only met the couple a few times.

"There's all this stuff in the press about being best friends, which is absolutely stupid," Goodall told People in an interview published Friday. "We're not best friends. I've only met them three times. It's so silly."

"Prince Harry is great. Really great," Goodall continued in the People interview. "And Meghan too."

Goodall's recent interview comes one year after she and Harry were captured exchanging a "chimpanzee greeting" at a talk the scientist gave in July 2019. Goodall apparently taught Harry the dance the first time they met.

A couple of captured moments between The Duke of Sussex and Dr. Jane Goodall at today’s event. The pair share an impromptu dance and ‘Chimpanzee Greeting’ which Jane taught The Duke when they first met. Today’s event was full of education, inspiration and fun. Because working hard and playing hard are not mutually exclusive... For more information on today’s special event on Roots & Shoots, please see previous post.

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jul 23, 2019 at 12:33pm PDTJul 23, 2019 at 12:33pm PDT

A month prior, in June 2019, Goodall visited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at their former home, Frogmore Cottage. Goodall recalled that during her visit, Harry made a remark that suggested Archie's upbringing would not be a traditional royal one — which some royal commentators and fans say may have been a hint at the couple's departure from the royal family.

"At the end [of the conversation] Meghan came in to listen with Archie," Dr. Goodall told the Daily Mail's Weekend Magazine, as cited by People."He was very tiny and very sleepy — not too pleased to be passed from his mummy."

Goodall added that she got Archie to "do the Queen's wave."

"I suppose he'll have to learn this," Goodall said she told Harry at the time.

"Harry said, 'No, he's not growing up like that,'" Goodall recalled.

• Read more:
• Stop blaming Meghan Markle — Prince Harry planned his exit from the royal family long before they even met
• A new book claims Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's tense relationship with Prince William and Kate Middleton was so bad they barely spoke
• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry probably wouldn't have spoken up about Black Lives Matter if they were still part of the royal family, according to experts
• The family photo of Archie's christening may reveal a time of tension between Meghan Markle and the Queen, a new book suggests