When Prince Charles Said He 'Didn't Want' Meghan Markle During Queen's Final Hours

The passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 brought not only national mourning but also heightened tensions within the royal family. Family members rushed to Balmoral Castle in Scotland to bid their final farewells as the monarch's health rapidly declined. However, this moment of grief became a flashpoint in the ongoing rift between Prince Harry and the rest of the royal family. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were in the UK at the time preparing for a charity event in London. Harry naturally wanted to be by his grandmother's side upon learning of the Queen's deteriorating condition. But according to Harry's memoir, Spare, his father, then Prince Charles, delivered a message that ignited fury in the young prince.

"He said I was welcome at Balmoral, but he didn't want... her," Harry wrote, referring to Markle. The conversation quickly became heated. Harry claims he responded sharply to his father's remarks about Markle. He said, "Don't ever speak about my wife that way." Charles reportedly attempted to justify the decision and explained that other spouses, including Kate Middleton, weren't coming either. The exclusion of Markle felt personal and hurtful to Harry. "He stammered, apologetic, saying he simply didn't want a lot of people around," Harry recounted in his book, as per the Scottish Daily Express.

Since stepping down as working royals in 2020 and relocating to California, their relationship with "The Firm" has become increasingly strained. High-profile interviews, a Netflix documentary, and Harry's tell-all memoir have only widened the divide further. Unfortunately, Harry's race to Scotland proved futile. The Queen's death certificate reveals she passed away at 3:10 pm. Harry's flight from Luton Airport didn't take off until 5:35 pm. The official announcement of the Queen's death had already been made by the time he landed in Aberdeen at 6:46 pm, as per the Mirror.

Harry shared how he learned of his grandmother's passing in his book: "When the plane started to descend I saw that my phone lit up. It was a message from Meg: 'Call me when you get this.' I looked at the BBC website. My grandmother had died. My father was King." Harry was led to the Queen's bedroom by Princess Anne to pay his respects upon arriving at Balmoral. He also reflected on the painful memory of not being able to see his mother, Princess Diana, after she died in 1997 when he was just 12 years old.

Queen was in charge for a long time and saw a lot of big changes. With the UK recovering from the war and switching from being an empire to joining the Commonwealth. She was also around for the end of the Cold War. Over her time, there were 15 different prime ministers. It started with Winston Churchill in 1874 and ended with Ms. Truss in 1975. When the Queen passed away, Prince William and his wife Catherine got the new titles Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall.