The late Queen Elizabeth II is said to have made a striking comment after learning that her grandson Prince Harry would attend Prince Philip’s funeral without Meghan Markle.
According to royal biographer Tom Bower, when told Meghan would not be present at the service in April 2021, the Queen turned to her aides and remarked: “Thank goodness Meghan is not coming.”
In his book Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors, Bower noted that the comment reflected the monarch’s growing dislike for what he described as “the disruptive actress,” who had stepped back from royal duties the previous year.
A Funeral Marked by Restraint
Prince Philip, who passed away at the age of 99 on April 9, 2021, had requested a simple service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. Covid restrictions limited the gathering to just 30 mourners, and the Queen was determined to honor her husband of 73 years with quiet dignity.
“Philip had been her rock for the previous 70 years,” Bower observed, adding that Her Majesty complied with restrictions by grieving alone inside the chapel.
Meghan, pregnant with Princess Lilibet at the time, stayed in California. Her absence came shortly after the couple’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, where allegations of racism inside the royal household were made public.
