What Queen Elizabeth Really Thought of Meghan Markle, According to Insiders
Queen Elizabeth developed her own opinion about Meghan Markle as she got to know Prince Harry's wife during her two years as a senior royal.
Royal family
Queen Elizabeth reportedly formed her own opinion about Meghan Markle rather quickly.
by Lucille Barilla
Published on January 13, 2025
When Meghan Markle entered the royal family, it appeared to outsiders that senior royals went out of their way to make her feel welcome. Knowing that the ways of the House of Windsor were completely foreign to Meghan, many of its members reportedly tried to help her assimilate as quickly as possible. However, there were still some things about the American actor that just didnât sit right with the royals, including Queen Elizabeth, who quickly developed her own opinion about Prince Harryâs bride.
During Meghan Markle and Prince Harryâs 2018 engagement interview, Meghan was complimentary toward Queen Elizabeth, painting a positively rosy outlook on their relationship.
âItâs incredible, I think, you know, to be able to meet her through his lens, not just with his honor and respect for her as the monarch, but the love that he has for her as his grandmother,â Meghan said (via BBC). âAll of those layers have been so important to me that when I met her I had such a deep understanding and of course incredible respect for being able to have that time with her. Sheâs an incredible woman.â
In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan shared that she and the queen had forged a good relationship. âWe had one of our first joint engagements together and had breakfast together that morning. Sheâd given me a beautiful gift, and I just really loved being in her company,â Meghan explained.
âWe were in the car going between engagements, and she has a blanket that sits across her knees for warmth. And it was chilly, and she was like, âMeghan, come onâ and put it over my knees as well. It made me think of my grandmother, where sheâs always been warm and inviting and really welcoming.â
Queen Elizabeth looks at Meghan Markle during her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 | Jonathan Brady/AFP via Getty Images
It is unclear how Queen Elizabeth really felt about Meghan Markle. Outwardly, she seemed to want her grandson Prince Harry to be happy. But did she have reservations about his marriage from the beginning?
According to royal reporter Ingrid Sewardâs book My Mother and I, the queen had several issues with Meghan, beginning with her wedding to Harry. Seward reports that Elizabeth didnât like the fact that Meghan wore a white gown, and she wasnât happy with the idea of her son, Charles, walking his daughter-in-law down the aisle.
Reportedly the queen also wasnât happy with the coupleâs decision to leave the royal family and found allegations they made during their interview with Oprah Winfrey alarming. Subsequently, the couple left a sour taste in the queenâs mouth when they called their daughter Lilibet. Elizabeth didnât confirm that she gave Harry and Meghan permission to use her childhood nickname for their little girl.
The Spectatorâs Kara Kennedy reported in 2023 that Elizabeth reportedly âsaw throughâ Meghan. She cited a source who claimed the monarch called Meghan âevilâ at a 2022 Balmoral event.
âAt the drinks before the dinner, a small group was talking to the monarch and she explained that Harry meeting Meghan had become a complete catastrophe and described her as evil. By this point, we all knew the Queenâs health was in decline and she had months left, she seemed regretful about how things had panned out.â
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry left the United Kingdom to live in the United States in early 2020. They left their duties as working senior royals behind.
It would be two years until Harry and Meghan returned to the U.K. to celebrate Queen Elizabethâs Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. The couple joined other senior royals at a service of thanksgiving honoring Queen Elizabeth at St. Paulâs Cathedral. Harry and Meghan sat in the second row alongside Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, and their husbands.
Three months later, Harry and Meghan returned to the U.K. to mourn Queen Elizabeth, who died on Sept. 8, 2022. They appeared alongside Prince William and Kate Middleton to tour to mourners outside of Windsor Castle.