When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to step down as senior members of the Royal Family in 2020 and moved to California, it sent shockwaves globally.
The late Queen Elizabeth was arguably the most affected by this decision, as she strived to keep the remaining Royal family united during this turbulent period.
Despite maintaining a strong front during public appearances, the late Queen was reportedly devastated behind the scenes over her grandson’s choice to permanently leave the UK and the Royal family.
A Royal author has suggested that the late monarch was “exhausted” by the situation, informally referred to as ‘Megxit’.
In her book The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown, Royal expert Katie Nicholl claims that Her Majesty “didn’t want to think about it” when asked for her thoughts on the matter.
Reports have long suggested that the late Queen frequently contacted Harry and Meghan, maintaining regular video calls with their children Archie and Lilibet.
Despite ongoing tensions within the family, Queen Elizabeth reportedly continued sending presents to her great-grandchildren, notably gifting Archie a waffle maker so Meghan could prepare his beloved breakfast waffles.
Although the late Queen rarely saw Prince Harry and Meghan Markle following their departure from the UK, the Royal family managed to enjoy precious moments together when the Sussexes returned to England for the monarch’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, merely three months before Queen Elizabeth’s passing.
It is widely understood that the Jubilee festivities marked the sole occasion when the Queen encountered Harry and Meghan’s daughter Lilibet, who bears the late monarch’s cherished childhood nickname.
Despite Queen Elizabeth spending limited time with her great-grandchildren, she remained troubled by their infrequent visits, voicing her disappointment over their absence from a sleepover weekend at Balmoral Castle.
Katie Nicholl revealed in the book: “It was a source of sadness to the Queen that she got to see so little of Archie and Lilibet and that Harry and Meghan were not able to join her for a weekend at Balmoral in August when the Queen used to host a ‘sleepover’ for all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”