Queen Elizabeth II welcomed Meghan Markle into the family, yet a royal biographer claims that she still urged Prince Harry to slow down. In his new book, Hugo Vickers writes that the late monarch advised Harry to wait another year before proposing — but the couple announced their engagement six months later and married the following May. Harry did not heed her warning, and the royal family continues to deal with it.
Queen reportedly told Prince Harry not to rush into marriage, claims author
The Daily Mail exclusively reported that Hugo Vickers met Queen Elizabeth more than 40 times over five decades. He recalled that the Queen’s caution echoed Prince William’s warning to Prince Harry to take it slow and get to know Meghan Markle. Their father, now King Charles III, reportedly told Harry to enjoy the romance but not to marry her — a line Charles once reportedly heard from Lord Mountbatten about his own courtship of Diana.
Staff at Sandringham initially warmed to Markle, even dubbing her “Sparkle” during the 2017 Christmas gathering. Vickers noted that Prince Philip was cooler, referring to her simply as “the American,” but as the relationship continued, palace aides noticed tension. Some employees left, and by the 2019 christening of Archie, the Sussexes had already broken with several royal traditions.
The author claimed that the strain deepened after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sought partial commitment in 2020, a deal the Queen refused. She later reportedly confided to a friend, “And now Harry has opted out, and for what? To be a carer for Archie,” while Vickers added that the Oprah Winfrey interview aired when Prince Philip was in the hospital, piling pressure on the monarch. The writer wrote, “The distress Harry and Meghan caused the Queen can’t be overstated.”
Even the wedding day had signs of misgivings. Vickers reported that the Queen disliked Markle’s bright-white Givenchy gown and regarded the ceremony as the couple’s affair, telling an insider, “You get on with it. It’s nothing to do with me.”
In his book, Vickers claimed that the late Queen never lost affection for her grandson but feared haste would damage him and the Crown.
Originally reported by Ishika Mishra on Reality Tea.
