The late Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly left deeply “dismayed” by Prince Harry’s shocking behavior just months before his high-profile wedding to Meghan Markle—a ceremony that, in hindsight, may have marked the beginning of the monarchy’s public unraveling.
According to a new report by royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, Queen Elizabeth felt “left out” and even disrespected by her grandson in a tense 10-minute meeting in February 2018. Smith told her Substack readers that Harry, then 33, was “rude” to the monarch during a discussion about wedding plans, leaving the Queen “very worried” about the direction Harry’s life was heading and about what kind of woman he was about to marry.
Smith recounted that Harry bypassed royal tradition by asking the Archbishop of Canterbury to officiate the wedding at St. George’s Chapel—without first seeking approval from the Dean of Windsor. For a family that places immense value on protocol, this was seen as a glaring act of arrogance and disrespect.
The Queen was reportedly further irritated by Meghan Markle’s diva-like refusal to reveal any details about her wedding dress in advance—another deviation from royal custom. These early warning signs, which many on the Right would argue showed a lack of reverence for heritage and authority, now appear prophetic in the context of the couple’s whirlwind departure from royal life just two years later.
To make matters worse, the friction between Meghan and the other royals—most notably Prince William and Kate Middleton—was already a problem before the couple even said “I do.” According to Smith, the Queen confided in her cousin, Lady Elizabeth Anson, who later told Smith in a 2019 phone call that the Queen questioned whether Meghan truly loved Harry, or had simply “engineered it all.” The Queen reportedly kept her distance, famously stating “the jury is still out” on Meghan.
Of course, royal defenders in the liberal press were quick to dismiss any criticism as baseless or outdated. But the Queen herself, known for her stoicism and political tact, allegedly had to personally intervene when Meghan lashed out at staff. During a clash over a non-vegan dish served by her wedding caterer, Meghan reportedly berated the kitchen staff so harshly that Queen Elizabeth had to scold her directly: “Meghan, in this family we don’t speak to people like that.”
Even after all the disrespect, the Queen and Harry reportedly reconciled before the wedding. But the damage, it seems, was already done.
Today, Harry and Meghan are living far from the Crown in their luxury California compound, having traded royal duty for Netflix deals and leftist lecture circuits. They now raise their two children, Archie and Lilibet, in the glitzy bubble of Montecito, occasionally emerging on Instagram or at progressive summits to paint themselves as victims.
Harry recently claimed that Meghan was the “most trolled person in the world” in 2018—a bold statement from someone who repeatedly dragged his own family through the mud while cashing in on royal fame.
It’s a saga that continues to reflect the consequences of abandoning tradition, humility, and loyalty—values that Queen Elizabeth upheld until her final breath. Sadly, those values seem to have been lost on her grandson.
