Prince Philip Reportedly Had A Spicy Comment About Meghan And Harry's Wedding

The late Prince Philip's relationship with his granddaughter-in-law Meghan Markle was apparently a rather distant one. Back in 2020, royal biographer Ingrid Seward told Us Weekly that Philip was quite accepting of Meghan when she first married his grandson, Prince Harry. This isn't particularly surprising, given that Philip knew firsthand what it was like to be an outsider marrying into England's royal family (granted, Philip was still born into Greek and Danish royalty). However, Seward also noted that Meghan never got the chance to form much of a bond with Philip, as they didn't interact much while she and Harry were still dating. What's more, it was reportedly Philip's own lived experiences that ended up making him rather unhappy with Harry and Meghan's decision to step away from royal duties in early 2020. That being said, there were reportedly signs of Philip having a short patience with Harry and Meghan as far back as when the latter officially joined the House of Windsor in 2018.

In an excerpt from his aptly-titled memoir "The Royal Butler," published by The Telegraph in August 2025, former royal butler Grant Harrold claims that Philip made a rather scathing remark as Harry and Meghan's wedding came to a close. "Once all the formalities were over, we watched as the happy couple, and then the other members of the royal family, filed out of the chapel," Harrold wrote, adding, "When Prince Philip came out, he turned to the queen and said, 'Thank f*** that's over.'" The feeling was apparently mutual, as the late Queen Elizabeth II is said to have been fuming after Harry and Meghan's wedding.

To be fair to Prince Philip, he would have been about a month away from turning 97 years old when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married in May 2018. So, we can't fault him too much for being happy when the extravagant event was over and done with. As we mentioned before, however, while the Duke of Edinburgh seemed to be on good enough terms with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex around the time they tied the knot, things did sour somewhat over time. But while Philip was reportedly quite upset when Harry and Meghan decided to step away from royal duties, it seems to have come from a place of confusion more than anything.

"'I think he's very, very disappointed because I think he feels he gave up his naval career in order to stand by the queen and help the monarchy," aforementioned royal biographer Ingrid Seward told Sky News in 2020 (via Daily Mail), adding that Philip just couldn't wrap his head around Meghan's contrasting perspective. Around that same time, Seward claimed in her book "Prince Philip Revealed" that Philip's relationship with Harry himself also suffered as a result (via Vanity Fair). But while Philip disagreed with Harry and Meghan's decision, royal biographer Gyles Brandreth says he ultimately accepted it. "[Philip] said to me: 'People have got to lead their lives as they think best,'" Brandreth told the Daily Mail, noting that the Duke of Edinburgh did, at least, understand his grandson's issues with the British media, which Harry cited as one of the reasons for his and Meghan's exit.