Prince Harry Reportedly Still Close With Queen Elizabeth Despite Rumors Of A Ruined Relationship

Prince Harry remains quite close to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, despite several barriers — including them living on separate continents, his withdrawal from the British royal family, and a reportedly “ruined” relationship between the two — Town & Country reported.

In their new book, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand alleged that the relationship between Harry and the queen hit a snag earlier this year when Harry announced that he and his wife, Meghan Markle, would be “retiring” as full-time members of the royal family and moving to Canada.

Harry was purportedly “at odds” with his family at the time, according to an excerpt published in The Times. And indeed, a high-profile and high-ranking member of the monarchy resigning from their duties and moving to a foreign country could have had dramatic repercussions for the institution, where centuries of tradition inform every move.

But the Duke of Sussex was doing what he felt he had to do, according to an unidentified royal source.

“This is tearing him apart. He loves the Queen, but his wife feels aggrieved, and he adores his son. Harry’s whole world is Archie,” the source said.

Though Elizabeth did give her blessing for the retirement and the move to Canada, and though the Windsors put on a brave public face about the whole situation, rumors have persisted that the relationship between the duke and his grandmother are strained at best or ruined at worst.

Those rumors aren’t true, said the authors.

Specifically, they pointed to a purported meeting between the two on March 1, as Harry was wrapping up what would be his final royal duties. The pair met for lunch, and it was just that — a lunch.

“No titles. Just granny and grandson,” a source said of the meeting.

“As they tucked into a roast lunch, the Queen made it clear to Harry that she would always support him in whatever he decided to do,” the source said.

Further, the source alleged that, at the meeting, Harry reaffirmed to the family matriarch that, though he had strong feelings about his royal life, his love for his grandmother remained strong. She reportedly said the feeling was mutual.

Further, the queen has given the duke a sort of open-ended invitation to return to life as a royal, should he ever make that decision. However, Harry and Meghan have reportedly settled into their new, less visible lives in Canada, and it’s unlikely that he’ll ever return to being a royal.