The Queen was “hurt” and “exhausted” by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to leave royal life and the ensuing drama they caused.
The late monarch – who died on September 8 at age 96 – reportedly confided to a friend that “she was exhausted by the turmoil of their decision,” royal writer Katie Nicholl writes in her upcoming book, “The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown.”
“She was very hurt,” claimed the confidante, adding that the Queen complained, “I don’t know, I don’t care, and I don’t want to think about it anymore.”
Nicholl also noted that “it was a source of grief” to the Queen “that she got to see so little of Archie and Lilibet and that Harry and Meghan were unable to join her for a weekend in Balmoral in August, when the Queen was due to organize a ‘sleepover’ for all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
The monarch eventually saw Archie, 3, and her namesake, Lilibet, 1 a handful of times.
Harry and Markle took their children to a brief meeting with the Queen when they landed in London in June for the platinum anniversary celebrations. Two days later, the Sussexes and their children spent more time with the Queen at Windsor Castle, the day before Lili’s first birthday.
After the death of the Queen, Harry released a heartfelt statement expressing his happiness at being able to hug her “beloved great-grandchildren.”
“Grandma, although this last goodbye brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all our first encounters – from my earliest childhood memories with you, to the first time I met you as my commander in chief, to the first moment you have my dear woman and embrace your beloved great-grandchildren,” he wrote.
“I cherish these moments that I have shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed,” he concluded.
After implying in interviews that they were unhappy, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in January 2020 that they were opting out of royal life and initially put forward the idea of being part-time royals, which the Queen firmly rejected.
“Following discussions with the Duke, the Queen has confirmed in writing that by relinquishing the work of the Royal Family it will not be possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties associated with a life of public service,” it said. in a statement from The Palace. .
The Duke and Duchess’ military honors and royal patronages will therefore be returned to Her Majesty before being redistributed to working members of the Royal Family.
While they are all saddened by their decision, the Duke and Duchess remain beloved members of the family,” the statement concluded.
Since then, the couple — who have moved to California — have conducted bombshell interviews accusing the palace of rejecting Markle’s pleas for help, claiming their presence disrupted the royal family’s dynamics.
Prince Harry also has a memoir coming out that could contain more damning details for the royal family and the pair are working on a Netflix reality show.
According to Nicholl, King Charles III has postponed his decision on whether or not to bestow royal titles on his grandchildren.
“It depends a lot on what happens in the coming months, especially with Harry’s book and their TV show,” a source close to the king told Nicholl.
The couple flew back home to Montecito on Wednesday after a long period of mourning for the late monarch.