Queen Elizabeth's Harsh Remarks About Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Relationship Revealed

By Favour Adegoke on July 8, 2025 at 11:45 AM EDT

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
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In her final weeks, Queen Elizabeth II reportedly made damning remarks about Prince Harry's relationship with Meghan Markle, expressing regret over how things had turned out.

Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, citing the queen's cousin, Lady Elizabeth Anson, revealed tensions began in early 2018, including the duke allegedly disrespecting the queen and Meghan withholding wedding details.

Queen Elizabeth II was also said to be unsettled by Meghan Markle's assertiveness and Prince Harry's emotional dependence.

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Biographer Reveals Queen Elizabeth's Brutal Comments About Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Marriage

Meghan markle and Prince Harry with The Queen at the Royal Family watch the RAF100 flypast
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In the final weeks before her passing in September 2022, Queen Elizabeth reportedly expressed her deep concerns about Prince Harry's relationship with Meghan Markle.

According to the Daily Mail, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith revealed that the queen described the entire situation as a "complete catastrophe."

During a private gathering at Balmoral, the Queen, who was typically measured and discreet in her personal opinions, spoke with rare candor.

A source close to the royal household recalled the moment, saying, "It was out of character for the Queen...but she saw straight through Meghan."

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The insider added, "At the drinks before the dinner, a small group was talking to the monarch, and she explained that Harry's meeting with Meghan had become a complete catastrophe. By this point, we all knew the queen's health was in decline, and she had months left. She seemed regretful about how things had panned out."

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Queen Elizabeth Was Privately Troubled By The Duke And Duchess Long Before Their Exit

08-06-2019 England The ceremony of the Trooping the Colour, marking the monarch's official birthday, in London. Queen Elizabeth II Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales Prince Andrew Britain's Princess Beatrice of York Britain's Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Queen Elizabeth II Princess Eugenie of York Lady Louise Windsor, Prince Andrew, Duke of York Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
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In the same publication, Bedell Smith revealed insights from the queen's cousin, Lady Elizabeth Anson, also known as Liza, who had a close relationship with the monarch.

Lady Anson painted a more complicated picture of the couple's relationship with Queen Elizabeth. She revealed that tensions had been building well before Harry and Meghan's exit in 2020.

Lady Anson described growing unease during the couple's early years together, citing several moments that reportedly troubled the queen.

One particularly awkward instance involved a private meeting in which Harry allegedly spoke to the queen rudely and dismissively for nearly ten minutes.

Additionally, Meghan reportedly withheld information about her wedding dress, which left the queen feeling disappointed.

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According to Anson, the warning signs began to surface as early as the couple's 2018 wedding preparations.

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The Queen's Opinion Of Meghan Markle Changed As Her Wedding Date Approached

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Wedding
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While the queen maintained her signature grace and composure in public, she was allegedly unsettled by Meghan's increasing assertiveness and Harry's emotional vulnerability, both of which raised concerns about the couple's long-term suitability within the royal institution.

Lady Anson, herself born at Windsor Castle and well-known for organizing major royal events, including the queen's 80th birthday celebration, allegedly claimed that the queen grew wary of Meghan as her wedding drew nearer.

The former actress had initially made a positive impression after her 2017 engagement to Harry. She was described at the time as "full of charm," "natural," "intelligent," and "thoughtful."

However, according to Anson, her demeanor began to change, becoming more controlling, which reportedly raised concern among members of the royal household.

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There Were Fears That Meghan Markle 'Engineered' Her Romance With Prince Harry

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
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In a conversation with Bedell Smith just two weeks before the May 19 ceremony, Lady Anson shared that the queen, whom she affectionately referred to as "Jemima," was very "worried" about her grandson, Harry.

"When we spoke two weeks before the May 19 wedding, Liza had just heard from the queen. 'The Number One Lady—I call her Jemima—says the jury is out on whether she likes Meghan,'" Smith wrote about Lady Anson.

She continued: "My Jemima is very worried. Harry is besotted and weak about women. We hope, but don't quite think she is in love. We think she engineered it all."

"It's worrying that so many people are questioning whether Meghan is right for Harry. The problem, bless his heart, is that Harry is neither bright nor strong, and she is both," Anson allegedly said.

How Early Wedding Tensions Reportedly Strained Prince Harry's Relationship With The Queen

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, attend the Wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Mr Thomas Kingston
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The newly reported disagreements between Harry and Queen Elizabeth are now being cited as issues that contributed to the duke's strained relationship with his grandmother at the time.

In February 2018, Harry reportedly wrote to Lady Anson, claiming that the queen was "content" with his wedding preparations; however, this wasn't the case when the queen spoke to the famous party planner herself.

"When I spoke with the queen, she said she is not at all content," Liza allegedly said, adding that Elizabeth was "dismayed" that Harry had asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to perform the wedding service in St. George's Chapel without first seeking permission from the Dean of Windsor.

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"Harry seems to think the queen can do what she wants, but she can't. On the religious side, it is the Dean of Windsor's jurisdiction," she continued, adding that the incident "blew" the duke's relationship with his grandmother.

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