Inside Harry and Meghan’s lost years with Queen Elizabeth
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are mourning the loss of the Queen – but the couple missed out on spending more time with her during her final years.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle missed out on spending time with the Queen in the years before her death due to rifts within the royal family.
The Duke of Sussex arrived at Balmoral an hour-and-a-half after it was announced his 96-year-old grandmother had died.
Despite a strained relationship with other senior royals like his brother William, Harry had always maintained a good relationship with the Queen.
According to The Daily Mail, the Sussexes’ decision to quit the monarchy for a new life in the US in 2020 meant Harry spent very little time with the Queen in the final years of her life.
At the time, the Queen released a statement showing her support for grandson and his wife.
“Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family,” she shared in a statement.
“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.
“Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”
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During their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the pair claimed they maintained a close but long-distance relationship with the Queen.
The former Suits actress had nothing but good things to say about her grandmother-in-law.
“The Queen has always been wonderful to me. I’ve loved being in her company,” she said.
“She’s always been warm, welcoming, and inviting.”
However, the Duchess’ comments were overshadowed by allegations of racism against the royal family.
The two claimed a member of the Royal Family had concerns over their son Archie’s skin colour.
The Sussexes had also been upset over Archie not being given the title of prince as well as being “cut off financially” after their move stateside.
Days after the tell-all, the Queen released a statement saying: “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan.
“The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.
“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members.”
The last time Meghan was publicly pictured with the Queen was at Westminster Abbey for Commonwealth Day in March 2020, the Duchess’ final royal engagement.
Harry returned to the UK to attend his grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral then flew back to America, missing the Queen’s 95th birthday in April 2021.
Meghan was unable to make the trip as she was pregnant with their second child Lilibet.
Harry returned a few months later for the unveiling of a statue of his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
In April 2022, a breakthrough came when Harry and Meghan visited the Queen at Windsor Castle ahead of their flight to Holland for the Invictus Games.
After the 30-minute “olive branch” talk, the Sussexes were reportedly invited to be present during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
In an interview with US TV show Today, the Duke spoke about his meeting with his grandmother.
“It was great. It was just so nice to see her … She’s on great form,” he told the program.
“She’s always got a great sense of humour with me and I’m just making sure she’s protected and got the right people around her.
“Both Meghan and I had tea with her, so it was really nice to catch up with her.”
Despite speaking fondly of his grandmother, Harry said he was unsure if he would attend the Jubilee celebrations.
The Duke said there were “lots” of security issues to overcome to allow his children to meet the Queen.
The monarch’s decision to invite the Sussexes to the Jubilee celebrations was thought to be unfavourable among some members of the Royal Family, particularly William, who was hurt and angered by his brother’s actions.
In June, the Sussexes made the event and watched on as working royals took to the Buckingham Palace balcony.
It was during this trip that the 96-year-old was able to meet her great-granddaughter Lilibet.
The one-year-old was named after the Queen’s childhood nickname. This would be their only meeting in person.
Days before their most recent UK visit, Meghan took a fresh swipe at the monarchy.
Speaking with The Cut, the Duchess said she and Harry were “happy” to leave and had been “upsetting the dynamic of the hierarchy … just by existing”.
On their current trip, reports surfaced that the Sussexes had no intention to visit the Royal Family, despite being 115m away from William and his wife Kate’s new home.
William and Kate were keen to avoid the Sussexes until they knew what the couple planned to reveal in their Netflix documentary and Harry’s upcoming book, The Sun reported.
According to the publication, William “feels he cannot trust his younger brother not to repeat their conversations” in his autobiography.
“They have lost their chance of being trusted as the chance is they will use any conversation,” royal biographer Angela Levin told The Sun.
Harry and Meghan rejected an invitation to stay at Prince Charles’ home during their stay in the UK, as reported by The Mirror.
Insiders told the outlet that Charles had thought the couple staying with him would be a “good opportunity for everyone to take stock and relax”.
“But the invitation was declined, as it has been before,” the source said.
In the days leading up to the Queen’s death, the relationship between the Sussexes and the royal family had been frosty.
One disgruntled palace insider told The Sunday Times: “Everyone hoped they would go off to be financially independent, pursue their philanthropic endeavours and be happy – and that in going their own way, they might no longer feel the need to rail against the system as much as they still do.
“But then the star power of them requires an association with the Royal Family and the fuel on those flames is the family discord.”
Following the Queen’s death, it is unknown how the relationships will fare between the Sussexes and the Royal Family.
Originally published as Inside Harry and Meghan’s lost years with Queen Elizabeth
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