A new book has claimed Queen Elizabeth II was “hurt” and “exhausted” by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step down as senior working members of the family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior working royals in March 2020, and subsequently moved to California – where they now live with their kids Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1.
In a book soon to be published about the Royal family, author and royal expert Katie Nicholl claimed the late monarch was deeply affected by the Sussexes move to the US.
According to Nicholl, the Queen confided to a friend that “she was exhausted by the turmoil of their decision.”
The source told the author: “[The Queen] was very hurt and told me, ‘I don’t know, I don’t care, and I don’t want to think about it anymore.'”
Nicholl also claimed the Queen was sad “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.”
The sovereign ended up seeing Archie and Lilibet just a handful of times before she died on September 8, 2022.
The Queen met Lilibet, who is named after her, for the first in June when the Sussexes flew over to the UK for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
In a statement after the Queen’s death, Harry said he was grateful for the moments she got to hug her “beloved great-grandchildren.”
He wrote: “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,” he added.
Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working members of the Royal family in March 2020, and subsequently moved to Montecito, California with their children.
Since then, there has been an evident rift between them and Harry’s family, especially with Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The couples stepped out in public together for the first time in over two years when they visited Windsor on Saturday, September 10.
It was later reported that William, the new Prince of Wales, “invited” the couple to join him and his wife Kate Middleton to put on a “united front” in wake of the Queen’s death.
But days later, Harry and Meghan were reportedly uninvited from the Queen’s pre-funeral reception at Buckingham Palace.
According to The Telegraph, the couple had received an invite to the pre-funeral reception, which was hosted by King Charles III and his Queen Consort Camilla.
However, the pair were later informed that only working members of the Royal Family were welcome to attend the event.
Sources told the outlet that the pair “appeared baffled” by the mix-up in plans.
Meghan and Harry tied-the-knot in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in May 2018.
They welcomed their first child together, a son named Archie, the following year.
The couple then welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lilibet Diana after Harry’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and his late mother Diana, last June.
