Book claims Queen Elizabeth was cautious on Prince Harry calls
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle caused “unforgivable” stress for Queen Elizabeth II in the final years of her life, royal biographer Mr Hugo Vickers has claimed while promoting his new book, Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History. In the interview, the author said the late monarch became wary of private conversations with the Duke of Sussex after the couple stepped back as working royals and later aired grievances publicly.
Fox News reported that Mr Vickers alleged the Queen refused to take Prince Harry’s phone calls unless another person was in the room, writing in his book that she would ask a lady-in-waiting to stay with her during the conversations.
Mr Vickers said he found the pressure on the Queen “unforgivable”, arguing that the Sussexes’ departure from senior royal duties and the subsequent public fallout added strain at a difficult period for the monarch. He said Prince Harry had held “a very useful role” as a working royal before moving to North America and claimed the Queen told a friend he had “turned into a kind of childminder”.
The claims add to ongoing scrutiny of the Sussexes’ relationship with the late Queen and the wider family, following earlier reporting that Meghan Markle reportedly clashed with the Queen over tiara selection in the run-up to the couple’s 2018 wedding.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the book, according to the interview, while a spokesperson for Archewell told the outlet it was “not something we would comment on”. Mr Vickers also said the Queen rejected Prince Harry’s proposal to be “half-in, half-out” as a working royal, describing her stance as a clear choice between full-time duty and stepping away.
Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022 aged 96. Prince Harry later published Spare in 2023, a release that brought renewed attention to the couple’s departure and the fallout with the Royal Family.
