Meghan And Harry's Relationship With The Queen Is About To Take Another Hit

After fighting to ensure they could safely attend, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry reportedly felt that their meeting with Queen Elizabeth II, during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, went well. An insider told Hollywood Life, "Their trip was a whirlwind and jam-packed from the moment they landed but it all went beautifully." The source added, "Their whole aim was to show the queen their love and respect, and of course introducing her to Lili for the first time was a big highlight."

And yet, reports quickly emerged that the feeling wasn't exactly mutual, not least because Her Majesty supposedly only granted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex fifteen minutes of her time, per The Sun. Moreover, the couple was prohibited from taking a photo with the queen and their daughter Lilibet, with a source confirming to The Sun, "Harry and Meghan wanted their photographer to capture the moment Lilibet met the queen. But they were told no chance."

As the source acknowledged, "It was a private family meeting." The move likely stung even worse because Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, had only recently expressed his desire to ensure "the right people" were around his beloved grandmother during an interview on "Today." He also gushed about how strong their relationship still is. According to a royal author, however, the queen was allegedly getting tired of the Sussexes' antics long before they made the trip over for her Jubilee.

Recently, a royal expert claimed Queen Elizabeth has finally had enough of Meghan and Harry's drama, but it seems like she might have been done with them for a while. According to Newsweek, in Tom Bower's new tell-all tome, "Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors," he posits the idea that the queen didn't want Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, at Prince Philip's memorial service. "Thank goodness Meghan is not coming,' the monarch said in a clear voice to her trusted aides," Bower notes of the reported interaction. 

A well-placed source clarified that Her Majesty was focused on mourning her beloved late husband in the run-up to his funeral, rather than any simmering drama. However, reports suggest that the queen supposedly ensured Meghan and Harry sat out of the way at the thanksgiving service, during her Jubilee, so they wouldn't steal focus. "Revenge" also points to comments Harry made during an appearance on the "Armchair Expert" podcast with Dax Shepard, which were seen to be disparaging against his grandparents.

Bower contended Harry had "criticized" the queen, despite singing her praises elsewhere. The duke similarly "denounced" both his brother and father, too. The author even reiterated the claim that the Sussexes hadn't checked with Her Majesty whether they could call their daughter Lilibet after the queen's childhood nickname. As The Guardian reported at the time, though, Meghan and Harry's spokesperson confirmed she had been briefed about the name in advance.

When they defected to America in early 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle blamed press intrusion from the British tabloids and a lack of support from their fellow royals as the main reasons for their departure (via Oprah Daily). However, according to celebrity biographer Tom Bower, the Duchess of Sussex simply couldn't handle not being in the spotlight at all times. 

Express reports that, during an interview on GB News, Bower asserted he felt compelled to write "Revenge" so he could set the record straight after Meghan and Harry's "scandalous" Oprah Winfrey interview. Bower explained, "The book tells the truth about Meghan and I think that is very important to know the background and the motivation of a woman who clearly married into the royal family because she loved Harry, I don't doubt that, but also because she likes the status." 

Unfortunately, according to Bower's evidently biased opinion, the former actor soon realized she would never be the star, since, "There is only one number one in the royal family and the rest of the family is there to support the queen." Thus, "Meghan did not understand why she was not in the spotlight and very quickly decided she would be better off in Hollywood." Queen Elizabeth's close advisor reportedly gave a warning about Meghan and Harry's marriage early on echoing a similar sentiment. Per Newsweek, Bower revealed that Lady Susan Hussey, who's also Harry's godmother, ominously claimed it would "all end in tears."