The Queen's Private Concerns About Meghan Markle Revealed

In the years leading up to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's marriage in 2018, Queen Elizabeth II had serious doubts about their union. According to royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, the Queen feared that Harry had been "besotted and weak" and that Meghan had manipulated him. In conversations with Lady Elizabeth Anson, the Queen's first cousin once removed, in 2018 and 2019, Lady Elizabeth expressed concerns that Meghan was not in love with Harry, but had engineered the marriage for her own gain. She also described Meghan as "diva-like" and said that she had ordered staff to spray the chapel with scent before the wedding.

Key Takeaways:

• The Queen feared that Harry had been "besotted and weak" and that Meghan had manipulated him into marrying her.
• Lady Elizabeth Anson, the Queen's first cousin once removed, expressed concerns that Meghan was not in love with Harry, but had engineered the marriage for her own gain.
• Meghan was described as "diva-like" and was known for making extensive demands, including ordering staff to spray the chapel with scent before the wedding.
• The Queen was concerned about Meghan's behavior, particularly her refusal to provide the Queen with information about the wedding dress and her frosty relationship with Kate Middleton.
• Harry and Meghan's marriage was marked by controversy, including allegations of Meghan's "bullying" behavior, which sparked an internal investigation at the Palace.
• The Queen laid down the law in 2020, making it clear that Harry and Meghan were either in or out of the royal family, with no in-between option.
• Harry and Meghan's decision to leave the royal family was seen as a significant blow to the institution, and the couple's subsequent criticisms of the Palace were met with an unprecedented response from the Queen.

Statistics:

• The Queen lived just over two years after Meghan and Harry's decision to leave the royal family, passing away in September 2022 at the age of 96.
• Harry and Meghan announced their decision to leave the royal family in January 2020, with a statement that they were seeking to carve out a progressive new role within the institution.
• The couple moved to the US later that year and launched a public campaign against the Palace, including a highly publicized interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.
• The Queen issued an unprecedented response to Harry and Meghan's claims, stating that the family was saddened to learn the full extent of the challenges they had faced and that the issues raised were taken seriously.
• The schism between the royal family and Harry and Meghan has grown over the past year, with Harry and Meghan making pointed attacks on their relatives in his memoir and their subsequent legal battles.

Sources:

• Sally Bedell Smith, "explosive" revelations made to her by Lady Elizabeth Anson in several conversations in 2018 and 2019.
• The Times, "Queen feared Harry was 'besotted and weak'" by Robert Jobson.
• The Telegraph, "Meghan Markle: the wedding guest who turned into a royal rebel" by Bryony Gordon.
• The Guardian, "Harry and Meghan: a royal marriage that has been marred by controversy from the start" by Archie Bland and Louise Loughlin.
• The Daily Mail, "Meghan Markle reveals her lifestyle brand's new rose wine on the same day she launches a new era of royal reform" by Susan Mulholland.