According to new reports from royal writer Sally Bedell Smith, Queen Elizabeth II already saw problems between Meghan Markle, Prince William, and Princess Kate even before Meghan married Prince Harry. Bedell Smith shared parts of her talks with the queen’s cousin, Lady Elizabeth Anson, on her blog.
Anson said the queen noticed that Meghan and Kate were not getting along and that it was worrying so many people were questioning if Meghan was right for Harry. The queen also thought Harry was not very strong or clever, while Meghan was both.
People already knew Meghan and Kate had issues before the wedding, like when they argued about Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress. But it was not known that the queen knew and was concerned about it so early. Bedell Smith said the queen brought it up about two weeks before the wedding.
There were signs of trouble even earlier. In February 2018, three months before the wedding, William, Harry, Kate, and Meghan were asked if they ever disagreed. William laughed and said yes, calling them “healthy disagreements,” but also said they might not always sort them out.
In his book, Harry wrote that Kate was upset when Meghan joked about her “baby brain” while they were talking about wedding rehearsals. It is not clear if these were the things the queen was worried about, or if she was thinking of something else.
Anson, who passed away in 2020, said the queen, whom she called “Jemima,” was very worried and still unsure if she liked Meghan. Anson also said Harry seemed completely in love with Meghan, but some people thought Meghan might have planned everything.