Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s departure from the Royal Family five years ago is well-known for causing a rift with Harry’s Royal kin, particularly his brother Prince William.
Despite public statements from Queen Elizabeth II at the time affirming her affection for Harry and Meghan as they moved to America, calling them “loved” members of the family, it’s been suggested that Her Majesty’s private remarks were less charitable.
A source revealed to The Spectator that just one month before her passing, the Queen called the Duchess of Sussex “evil” during a drinks reception at Balmoral in August. The insider told The Spectator: “It was out of character for the Queen to use such a word as ‘evil’ to describe Meghan, but she saw straight through her.”
They added as reported by the Express: “It was a startling sentence to hear from the most forgiving woman on earth.”
The source elaborated: “At the drinks before the dinner, a small group were talking to the monarch and she explained that Harry meeting Meghan had become a complete catastrophe and described her as evil.”
Reflecting on the Queen’s health and her sentiments, the source noted: “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.”
Although the Queen granted Harry and Meghan’s request to step back as senior working royals in 2020, it has also been reported that she felt wounded by their actions, particularly when they issued a statement without her consultation.
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According to Katie Nicholl’s book ‘The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown’, the late Queen felt tremendous pain over the tumultuous events, with a source close to the Royal family revealing: “She was very hurt and told me, ‘I don’t know, I don’t care, and I don’t want to think about it anymore’.”
Despite Harry and Meghan’s criticism of various aspects of royal life, they consistently spoke highly of the late Queen. After her passing, Harry expressed his gratitude in a statement: “Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings – from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren.
“I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over.”
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