Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly "very upset" in the lead-up to Prince Harry's 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle, according to a new account shared by one of her closest confidantes, Lady Elizabeth Anson.

The late monarch, who died in 2022 at age 96, allegedly felt "left out" of the planning process and grew increasingly concerned about her grandson's behavior and relationship choices, as revealed in journalist Sally Bedell Smith's Substack newsletter Royal Extras.

Bedell Smith's account is based on conversations with Lady Elizabeth Anson, a first cousin of the Queen and a high-society party planner who died in 2020.

"The Number One Lady—I call her Jemima—says the jury is out on whether she likes Meghan," Anson reportedly told Bedell Smith in the weeks before the wedding. "My Jemima is very worried."

According to Anson, tensions surfaced between the Queen and Prince Harry during wedding preparations, including a reported 10-minute conversation during which Harry was allegedly "rude" to his grandmother.

"She said she was really upset," Anson recalled. "I was shocked when the Queen told me this... She was trying to find out about the wedding dress, and Meghan wouldn't tell her."

Anson also claimed Harry bypassed royal protocol by asking the Archbishop of Canterbury to officiate the ceremony at St. George's Chapel without first seeking permission from the Dean of Windsor.

"Harry seems to think the Queen can do what she wants, but she can't," she quoted the Queen as saying.

The Queen was reportedly dismayed by what she viewed as increasing control exerted by Meghan, whom Anson described as "very much" bossy. "To begin with, she was not bad—a straightforward starlet, used to public speaking and charity work," Anson said.

"But the wedge between the brothers is really too bad."

Concerns over Meghan's fit within the royal family were not limited to the monarch. Anson also said of the actress: "We hope but don't quite think she is in love. We think she engineered it all."

Harry allegedly attempted to "patch up" his relationship with the Queen in the weeks leading up to the May 19 ceremony, reportedly visiting her alone to smooth over tensions.

While he later wrote that the Queen was "content" with the wedding plans, Anson disputed that account: "When I spoke with the Queen, she said she is not at all content."

Lady Elizabeth Anson, known for organizing numerous royal events, including the Queen's 80th birthday celebration, was a close confidante to the monarch and was often affectionately referred to as "Jemima."

The new revelations come amid continued scrutiny of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship with the royal family.

The couple stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and have since settled in California, where they now run a media production company.

Buckingham Palace and representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex declined to comment on the claims.

Tags
Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle