Hardman account revisits Meghan-Queen tiara dispute before 2018 wedding
Fresh details about a reported disagreement involving Meghan Markle and the late Queen Elizabeth II have emerged, centring on preparations for the Duchess of Sussex’s wedding to Prince Harry in 2018. The account, attributed to royal historian Mr Robert Hardman, revisits long-running claims about tensions over Meghan’s choice of tiara in the run-up to the ceremony at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
Daily Record reported that an extract from Mr Hardman’s upcoming book describes a pre-wedding row connected to Meghan’s selection of a royal tiara, with one member of staff recalling an “atmosphere” before the Queen’s dresser Ms Angela Kelly arrived with the headpiece.
In the extract, Mr Hardman writes that the Queen “much enjoyed offering a piece from her own tiara collection to a royal bride”, while also detailing a staffer’s recollection that Prince Harry “poked the box” and questioned the contents before standing over Ms Kelly. The account also reports that the Queen, having been made aware of the situation, was said to have told a member of the Royal Household: “It’s not a toy.”
The dispute has been widely discussed since the couple’s wedding, with previous reporting on the tiara selection focusing on the practicalities of arranging fittings and access to royal jewels.
Despite claims of tensions behind the scenes, Meghan wore Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau for her wedding to Prince Harry on 19 May 2018. Mr Hardman’s account also notes the Queen’s schedule at the time, including Easter in Windsor and preparations for the Royal Windsor Horse Show, alongside the need to verify the tiara’s history before it was loaned.
