Prince Harry reportedly caused a deep rift with Queen Elizabeth II just months before his royal wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018.
Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith revealed the monarch felt sidelined in the lead-up to the ceremony, and grew “very worried” about her grandson after he allegedly snapped at her during a private meeting.
Smith told her Substack readers that in February 2018, Harry spent ten minutes being rude to his grandmother during a discussion about the wedding. The Queen, then 91, was said to be “dismayed” by Harry’s behavior and deeply troubled by what she saw as disrespect from the prince.
Tension over Meghan Markle’s secrecy
At the center of the tension was a series of choices made by the couple without seeking royal approval. According to Smith, the Queen was offended that Harry asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to officiate the wedding at St. George’s Chapel without consulting the Dean of Windsor first.
Additionally, Markle refused to share details about her wedding dress with palace officials in advance, which was viewed as a breach of royal tradition. The secrecy reportedly irritated the Queen, who expected transparency for such a high-profile royal event.
Smith said Queen Elizabeth also expressed concern about the fractured relationship between Meghan, Prince William and Kate Middleton. The lack of harmony between the couples added to the Queen’s growing unease about the marriage.
Doubts from within the royal circle
The intel reportedly came from a phone call Smith had with Lady Elizabeth Anson, a close cousin of the Queen, before Anson’s death in 2020. During that call, Anson said there were doubts about the authenticity of the relationship between Harry and Meghan.
Anson claimed the Queen once remarked that the “jury was still out” on Markle and questioned whether Meghan was truly in love or had “engineered it all.”
Despite the rocky conversations and rising tensions, Smith reported that Queen Elizabeth and Harry managed to patch things up by April 2018. However, the damage had already been done.
Meghan Markle’s clash with palace staff
Separate reports from biographer Katie Nicholl revealed that Meghan allegedly berated the royal wedding caterer over a non-vegan dish. The situation escalated so quickly that the Queen intervened, reportedly telling Meghan that members of the royal family don’t speak to people that way.
While Harry defended his wife in a recent statement at the 2025 Nexus Global Summit, saying she was the most trolled person in the world during 2018, whispers of behind-the-scenes turmoil continue to resurface.
Now, insiders question whether that 10-minute outburst may have marked the exact moment the crown started slipping from Harry’s grasp.
Jaja has a degree in journalism and took classes in international law and business communication. Her career spans roles at prominent international media outlets, including International Business Times, Celebeat and Delightful Philippines. As a news editor, Jaja covered a wide range of beats, including legal, business, economy, cryptocurrency, personal finance, gaming, technology, and entertainment.