The shock decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to flee the royal family and begin a new life of financial independence in the US left the late Queen Elizabeth II “enormously upset and terribly sad”.
She saw their decision as “a wasted opportunity”, a new biography claims.
Initially the monarch welcomed the union of Prince Harry and the former actress, known as Meghan Markle.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Canada House in London on January 7, 2020, one day before announcing their intention to step back. (AP)
Elizabeth II even went out of her way to make Meghan feel welcome.
That’s according to royal biographer Robert Hardman, who has reported on the monarchy for more than 30 years.
In Hardman’s new book Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story, he said the queen “adored Harry”.
“She had an instinctive sympathy for the spare,” Hardman told The Telegraph UK.
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The late queen afforded Meghan the rare honour of being invited on board the royal train on June 14, 2018. (Getty)
Pointing out that the late Queen’s father and sister were born “spares”, Elizabeth was “conscious” about Prince Harry, and also the former prince Andrew, having less defined roles and “that concerned her”.
The queen’s compassion for Harry saw her act with kindness towards his fiancée, and she welcomed Meghan into the royal family when they married in 2018.
“The Queen invited Meghan on the royal train on a solo trip together, which was a rare honour for new family members, and gifted her a pair of diamond and pearl drop earrings to make her feel special.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently wrapped up a successful quasi-royal visit to Australia, a four-day spectacle which demonstrated what could have been for the royal family.
Queen Elizabeth II was initially happy about Prince Harry and Meghan’s union until the relationship soured. (Getty)
“The Queen recognised what a modernising force Harry was,” Hardman said.
But the monarch’s relationship with her grandson and his wife soured when the Sussexes announced their plan to leave the royal family – without consulting the palace.
Prince Harry and Meghan revealed their decision on January 8, 2020, and the next month the so-called Sandringham Summit was held between the queen, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry where a half-in, half-out model was rejected.
“As far as the Queen was concerned, Harry and Meghan had everything handed to them but wanted to throw it all away,” Hardman said.
“She was enormously upset and terribly sad about a wasted opportunity, but she acted decisively.”
It was the queen who wanted the couple to have a one-year cooling off period but she knew it would not sway their minds because “they took the dogs” he said.
Hardman’s book was published to coincide with the centenary of the late monarch’s birth on April 21.
Members of the royal family will attend events commemorating the anniversary this week.
Overnight, King Charles and Queen Camilla viewed some of the queen’s most iconic outfits, accessories and jewels at a new exhibition inside Buckingham Palace.
The King and Queen view Elizaebeth II’s wedding gown at a new exhibition inside Buckingham Palace. (Getty)
Members of the royal family will mark 100 years since the birth of Queen Elizabeth II this week. (Getty)
The King and Queen toured the display – Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style – inside The King’s Gallery.
Among the items on show are the queen’s wedding gown and tiara, worn when she married Prince Philip in 1947, and dozens of informal daywear outfits including her off-duty looks worn at Balmoral Castle.
On Tuesday, the King and Queen will be joined by other members of the royal family, at various events in London commemorating the centenary of Her late Majesty’s birth.
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