Few royal storylines have inspired
as much speculation as the relationship between Meghan Markle and the wider
Royal Family.
From the beginning of Meghan’s
romance with Prince Harry, public fascination surrounding the Duchess of Sussex
has never really faded. Over the years, every new report, family appearance and
reported private meeting has been examined for clues about how the late Queen
Elizabeth II truly felt about her.
Now, a royal expert has offered fresh
insight into that question, shedding light on the late monarch’s early
impression of Meghan, her attempts to welcome her into royal life and the point
at which the relationship reportedly became much more complicated.
The Queen’s early view of Meghan was reportedly optimistic
According to royal commentator and
Daily Mail editor William
Eden, Queen Elizabeth initially saw Meghan as someone who could
bring something new to the monarchy.
He reportedly described the
Duchess as a potential “breath of fresh air” who could be a positive addition
to the Royal Family.
That view makes sense in the
context of Meghan’s background at the time. She was American, divorced and
already known to the public as an actress, making her arrival in royal circles
feel different from the traditional path taken by many senior royals.
For the Queen, the early hope was
reportedly that Meghan might help modernise the image of the monarchy while
still fitting into its long-established traditions.
How the Queen reportedly welcomed Meghan in
If the reports are accurate,
Elizabeth’s support was not limited to words.
One of the clearest signs of
welcome came when Meghan was invited to join the Royal Family at Christmas at Sandringham
in 2017, months before her wedding to Prince Harry.
That gesture stood out because it
was not something usually extended to people before marriage.
It suggested that Meghan was
already being treated, at least in some ways, as part of the inner family
circle.
Other reports also pointed to
Meghan being included in official royal events before her wedding day,
including appearances linked to Commonwealth observances. Those moments were
seen by royal watchers as signs that the Queen was making an effort to
integrate her future granddaughter-in-law into royal life.
There were also reports of Meghan
undertaking a solo engagement with the Queen shortly after the wedding, as well
as receiving new royal responsibilities that positioned her more firmly within
the institution.
Chris
Jackson/Getty Images
The point at which everything reportedly changed
Despite the early signs of
support, tensions within the Royal Family became harder to ignore over time.
Reports and royal biographies have
pointed to several moments of friction behind the scenes, including clashes
involving royal staff, wedding preparations and disagreements between different
parts of the family.
But according to the royal expert
quoted in the article, the key turning point came in January 2020, when Harry
and Meghan announced that they would step back from their roles as senior
working royals.
That decision reportedly
disappointed the Queen, even though her public response remained measured and
supportive.
In her statement at the time, she
emphasised her affection for Harry, Meghan and Archie and thanked them for
their work on behalf of the country and the Commonwealth.
That response was widely seen as
an attempt to preserve family unity while acknowledging a difficult and
unexpected decision.
What happened after the Sussexes stepped back
After the couple moved to the
United States, speculation only increased about whether the Queen’s feelings
toward Meghan had changed.
According to the royal expert
cited in the original piece, there was a sense among some palace insiders that
the Queen had made genuine efforts to welcome Meghan, even while health
concerns were beginning to affect her own final years.
The same account suggested that
some members of the household believed Meghan may not have been fully committed
to building a long-term future in Britain, although that view remains part of a
broader and heavily debated royal narrative.
As always with the Sussex story,
interpretations vary widely depending on who is speaking. Some observers see
the Queen’s public words as a sign that she remained supportive until the end.
Others believe the private reality may have been more strained than the public
ever knew.
Did reconciliation ever happen?
That is the question royal
watchers still cannot answer with certainty.
Because Queen Elizabeth was
famously private and rarely discussed family matters openly, there is no way to
know exactly what was said between her, Harry and Meghan in the years before
her death.
Some commentators believe there
may have been moments of reconciliation before the Queen passed away. Others
argue that the family divide remained too deep for any meaningful resolution.
What is clear is that the question
still fascinates the public because it sits at the intersection of royal
tradition, family loyalty and one of the most public modern feuds in the
monarchy’s recent history.
Why the story continues to draw interest
Part of the enduring appeal of
this story is that it blends two very different images of Queen Elizabeth II.
On one hand, she was the monarch
known for duty, restraint and calm continuity.
On the other hand, she was also a
grandmother and family matriarch who reportedly tried to welcome Meghan warmly
into the Royal Family, even as the pressures around the Sussexes continued to
build.
That tension is what keeps royal
fans returning to the same question: what did the Queen really think?
For now, the answer remains a
mixture of reported impressions, private speculation and carefully measured
public statements.
And that may be exactly why the story continues to
attract so much attention.
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