Inside Meghan Markle & Queen Elizabeth's Ego Battle That Tore A Rift In The Royal Family

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In keeping with her reported strategy of "never complain, never explain," Queen Elizabeth wasn't one to divulge her thought and feelings, leading people to wonder about behind-the-scenes interactions within the royal family. Queen Elizabeth and Meghan Markle's relationship seems particularly complex. On one hand, the Duchess of Sussex's first impression of the queen was reportedly extremely favorable. The feeling seemed to be mutual, with the queen making some joint public appearances as Meghan got acclimated to her royal role. However, for all their public camaraderie, some royal staffers alleged a private ego clash between the two. 

Meghan apparently struggled with the royal hierarchy. "Elizabeth always had to be the center and focus of everything the Royal Family did," one former employee confided to author Tom Quinn (via Daily Mail). "[Meghan] didn't understand that when you join the Royal Family, you don't do as you please, you do as you're told. In a sense, you become a servant of the family."

However, Meghan already had a lengthy resume, and she was accustomed to engaging with people, both as an actor and with her former blog, "The Tig." Although she pivoted away from those pursuits, Meghan remained more forthright in her public interactions. During her time working for the Firm, Meghan broke her share of royal rules. However, the duchess has contended that she sometimes broke rules unknowingly. While Meghan was apparently supposed to get a crash course in the royal ropes, it never materialized, as she informed Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

While Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, might have chafed at the idea of royal servitude, Queen Elizabeth saw it as an essential part of their job. "My whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service," Elizabeth declared in a public address in 1947 (via royal.uk). In addition, even though she enjoyed the top role in the royal hierarchy, she was mindful of how she treated her staff. Queen Elizabeth reportedly put Meghan in her place when she felt the duchess was too bossy. According to the book "The New Royals," when Meghan lost her cool about a wedding menu item, the queen purportedly reprimanded her. Unfortunately, earlier in her romance with Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan was accused of ego-centric behavior in a restaurant, when she was reportedly looking for preferential treatment.

While Queen Elizabeth may not have looked for extra perks in quite the same way as Meghan, she did use her royal prestige privately when her husband was annoying her. In one instance, when Prince Philip was trying to shut down a discussion, she was overheard saying, "I am not a silly woman, I am the Queen!" (via Marie Claire). After a record setting 70-plus years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth might have gotten accustomed to people following her directives, something that Duchess Meghan might have found difficult to adjust to when she joined the family.