King Charles’ deal to keep Meghan away from dying Queen forced Kate to keep her distance

King Charles III struck a bargaining deal to prevent Meghan Markle from attending dying Queen Elizabeth II’s bedside that forced Princess Catherine to begrudingly do the same.

Exclusive: Princess Catherine begrudgingly stayed away from dying Queen Elizabeth II’s bedside in a bargaining deal struck by King Charles III to prevent Meghan Markle from attending and upsetting the monarch.

It is understood the reason Prince Harry arrived five hours after the Queen had died at her Scottish Estate at Balmoral Castle and refused to travel with his uncles or brother to pay his last respects to his grandmother, was because of a drawn out row he had with his father who asked him not to bring his wife to the Scottish Highlands.

The Sussexes join Prince William and Princess Catherine at Buckingham Palace. Picture: Getty

King Charles III personally intervened to ask his son not to travel with the Duchess of Sussex and negotiated with him saying “if Catherine doesn’t come, Meghan can’t either, it’s not appropriate for the wives to attend”.

“Harry was insisting Meghan travel with him to Scotland as the Queen’s life ebbed away but the King said it was only for the children and grandchildren to be with the Queen,” said royal author journalist and commentator Robert Jobson.

“Privately, he wanted to say Meghan was not welcome but he couldn’t say that to Harry so he personally intervened and asked Kate to stay back so that it was fairer on Meghan.

“Kate deliberately stayed away but she desperately wanted to be there with the Queen in her last moments. That’s eaten Kate up and has built up resentment towards Meghan,” Mr Jobson said, whose new biographyKing Charles III: Our King, The Man and The Monarch Revealed is published in Australia on May 2.

The King reached her bedside before she died at 3.10pm on September 8.

The only others present were his wife Queen Consort Camilla, Princess Anne – who had never left her mother’s side – and the Queen’s doctor, GP James Glass, who had been treating her for more than 30 years.

Prince William, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle stood together at the service for her Majesty at Westminster Hall. Picture: BBC

Prince William, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – and Edward’s wife Sophie, who had been very close to the Queen – arrived at Balmoral at about 5pm, almost two hours too late, according to Mr Jobson’s book.

Prince Harry didn’t arrive until just before 8pm.

Close sources said he had decided not to fly up to Scotland with his family after a telephone disagreement with his father over Meghan.

Publicly, the palace reported Princess Kate stayed back with the children while Prince William raced to his grandmother’s bedside.

Queen Elizabeth with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2018. Picture: Getty

Last May, it was clear the Queen’s reign was gradually drawing to a close. She drew great solace from the fact King Charles and Prince William were well equipped to succeed her, and that the birth of Prince George had helped ensure the continuation of the monarchy, according to Mr Jobson’s book.

She had sharp words with Prince William after he defied her wishes by taking a helicopter flight to Norfolk with all his immediate family. She had warned him against flying with Prince George in case of an accident, telling her grandson he always had to be aware of the succession plans ahead.