The Real Reason Meghan Markle Recently Reached Out To The Queen

During Meghan and Harry's interview with Oprah, Meghan revealed that she recently reached out to the queen — but not for the reason you may think. No, they didn't speak about the upcoming interview and what was to be said. Instead, Meghan reached out to check on the queen (via People) following Prince Philip's admission to hospital in late February.

"This morning, I woke up earlier than H, and saw a note from someone on our team in the UK saying that the Duke of Edinburgh had gone to the hospital," she told Oprah. Meghan picked up the phone to see if she was okay. "That's what we do, being able to default to not having to every moment go, 'Is that appropriate?'"

Harry clarified further, "For so many in our family, what we do is there's a level of control in that because they're fearful of what the papers are going to say about them. Whereas with us it was just like, just be yourself. Just be genuine. Just be authentic."

Prince Philip was admitted to hospital on February 16 "as a precaution" (via BBC News) after feeling ill, and was subsequently moved to one of "Europe's leading cardiac facilities" in London to undergo surgery for a pre-existing heart condition (via The Telegraph). "The Duke is expected to remain in hospital for continuing treatment for a number of days," a statement from Buckingham Palace read.

Despite stepping down from their royal duties last year, Harry made it clear that he still has the utmost respect for his grandparents. When asked whether the couple "blindsided" the monarch with their plans to leave, Harry said, "No, I would never blindside my grandmother, I have too much respect for her. 

As does Meghan who described the Queen to Oprah as having "always been wonderful" to her. She also revealed that the monarch gave her "some beautiful pearl earrings and a matching necklace" at the beginning of their relationship, as well as sharing a blanket with her "while travelling between visits" (via The Telegraph)