Obsession with the British royal family never seems to cease. A recent biography about the late Queen Elizabeth II is making headlines.
One of the titillating excerpts reveals that the Queen felt that her grandson, Prince Harry, was a little “too much in love” with his bride Meghan Markle.
Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, a biography by British journalist and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, reveals the inner thoughts of the late monarch.
The author is considered to be a trusted confidant of the senior royals. He said that comment was the closest the Queen ever came to saying anything negative about Meghan. She was happy when Prince Harry announced his plans to marry Meghan and had high expectations for the new Duchess of Sussex’s contribution to public and royal life.
An excerpt from the biography says that Queen Elizabeth II told many people that she liked Meghan and did whatever she could to make her feel welcome.
The late Queen wasn’t visibly mad when Harry and Meghan did their bombshell candid interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey. If she felt offended by the interview with Oprah, where they talked about Meghan’s struggle with royal life and racist remarks by members of the royal family, the Queen did not show it.
The author, Brandreth, also a former member of Parliament, wrote that after the Oprah interview, the Queen was most concerned about the well-being of Prince Harry. She dismissed the interview as “television nonsense.”
The author also wrote that the Queen spoke with Meghan and told her if she wanted to, she could continue her acting career even after marrying Harry. The Queen was glad to hear that Meghan was committed to dedicating her life to royal service but was concerned when Meghan rejected an offer for Sophie Wessex to show her the ropes. Despite the Queen’s generous offer, Meghan decided to quit acting.
Other members of the royal family were hesitant about Meghan and Harry’s decision to name their daughter Lilibet after the Queen, but the Queen was happy with their choice and said that the name was appropriate for their daughter.
The Queen also reportedly rejected Prince Andrew’s attempt to criticize Harry and Meghan after the Oprah interview, reminding him that, Sarah Ferguson, his ex-wife, had done a similar interview with Oprah after their divorce.
Brandreth also wrote that members of the royal family do not like talking about Harry and Meghan, and prefer to say “we wish them all the best” in their response to questions about the couple.
Brandreth has had a long-standing relationship with the royal family dating back decades. He met the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, in 1970 at a charity event, and they instantly became friends. He has worked with the royals for the last 60 years, and earlier this year, he and Queen Consort Camilla presented a poetry podcast.
According to the biography, the Queen had bone marrow cancer before her death in September 2021.
Prince Philip had confided to Brandreth about the decision by Harry and Meghan to abandon their royal duties, telling Brandreth he thought they were making a mistake. Brandreth wrote that he believed King Charles’ feelings on the matter was similar to that of Prince Philip’s.
