Startling revelations from the late Queen Elizabeth II’s inner circle suggest she wasn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for Meghan Markle before the 2018 royal wedding.
According to a posthumous interview with the Queen’s cousin, Lady Elizabeth Anson, Her Majesty was deeply unsettled by the actions and dynamics surrounding Prince Harry and his soon-to-be bride during the wedding preparations at Windsor Castle, casting a shadow over what should have been a joyous occasion, the New York Post reported.
Let’s rewind to the lead-up to that grand 2018 ceremony at St George’s Chapel. Tensions brewed when Prince Harry reportedly bypassed protocol by asking the Archbishop of Canterbury to officiate without first clearing it with the Dean of Windsor, who holds authority in religious matters at the venue.
“Harry seems to think the queen can do what she wants, but she can’t,” Anson told royal author Sally Bedell Smith, pointing out the misstep. Well, isn’t that a classic case of youthful exuberance clashing with centuries-old tradition? One might wonder if Harry thought royal rules were just suggestions.
Anson didn’t mince words, relaying the Queen’s frustration: “When I spoke with the queen, she said she is not at all content.” That’s a polite way of saying Her Majesty was likely fuming behind closed palace doors over what she saw as a troubling start with Meghan.
Indeed, Anson herself branded Meghan as a potential source of discord from the outset, hinting at deeper concerns. “Meghan could turn into nothing but trouble,” she reportedly warned, echoing sentiments that suggest the Queen’s reservations weren’t just about a wedding faux pas.
The wedding on May 19, 2018, came and went with all the expected pomp, but the cracks were already forming. Anson claimed the Sussexes began pulling away from Prince William and Kate Middleton almost immediately after the nuptials, a move that reportedly worried the Queen.
“Meghan and William and Kate are not working well,” Anson quoted the Queen as saying, particularly highlighting friction between the two duchesses. If the royal family is a team, it seems the Sussexes were already eyeing the exit door before the game even started.
Fast forward to 2019, and the Sussexes welcomed their first child, a son named Archie. But instead of settling into royal life, Harry and Meghan soon made the bombshell decision to step back from their duties and relocate abroad, leaving many to speculate about the state of family ties.
Despite their exit, the couple has insisted they remained on good terms with Queen Elizabeth II. Their biographer, Omid Scobie, told Entertainment Tonight in 2021, “They have kept a great relationship with [Prince] Philip and the queen.” That’s a rosy picture, but one wonders if it’s the full canvas given Anson’s starkly different account.
Publicly, the Queen and Meghan appeared cordial, sharing moments like watching a Royal Air Force flypast from Buckingham Palace and attending a bridge-opening ceremony together in 2018. Yet, behind the smiles, Anson’s words paint a picture of uncertainty, noting to Bedell Smith, “The jury is out on whether she likes Meghan.”
Anson’s candid chats with Bedell Smith, conducted just weeks before the wedding, reveal a deeper unease within the royal circle. She even expressed personal doubts about Meghan’s intentions, suggesting to Bedell Smith that Harry might be too easily swayed—a concern that likely echoed the Queen’s own apprehensions.
With Queen Elizabeth II passing in September 2022 at the age of 96, and Anson herself gone since 2020 at 79, these revelations are a haunting echo from a tumultuous chapter. It’s a reminder that even the most storied families face internal strife when tradition meets modern ambition.
Reporters have reached out to the Sussexes’ representatives for a response to Anson’s claims, but they haven’t replied. Perhaps they’re hoping silence will let the storm pass—though in today’s media landscape, that’s about as likely as a unicorn trotting through Windsor.
Ultimately, this glimpse into the late Queen’s mindset delivers a sobering counterpoint to the progressive narrative often spun around the Sussexes. While many respect individual choices, it’s hard to ignore the value in the Queen’s caution—she prioritized a monarch’s duty to uphold stability over personal whims. One can only hope the rush to redefine royalty doesn’t erase the lessons of balance and respect for heritage.
