A royal biographer has detailed a series of incidents that allegedly created significant strain between Prince Harry and the late Queen Elizabeth II in the lead-up to his 2018 marriage. According to the account, the monarch felt excluded from wedding preparations and was concerned by the behavior of the soon-to-be-married couple.
The biographer states that during a key planning meeting in early 2018, Prince Harry was reportedly discourteous to his grandmother for a sustained period, leaving her deeply troubled. Specific points of contention are said to have included the arrangement of the religious ceremony at Windsor Castle without following traditional protocol, and the bride’s decision to keep the design of her wedding dress a secret until the day itself.
Further friction reportedly stemmed from the dynamic between the Duchess of Sussex and the Prince and Princess of Wales, which was a source of worry for the Queen. A separate account from a family member, relayed by the biographer, suggested there were private doubts about the nature of the relationship at the time, with one relative questioning whether the union was a calculated move.
The claims add to a longstanding narrative of discord surrounding the wedding. In a previously reported incident, the Queen is said to have intervened after the duchess allegedly spoke harshly to a staff member, reminding her of the family’s expected standards of conduct.
The couple has consistently addressed the intense public scrutiny they faced during that period. In a recent public appearance, Prince Harry described his wife as the world’s “most trolled person” in 2018. In a 2021 television interview, the duchess herself revealed the severe emotional toll of the negative press, stating it led her to a point where she “didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
Despite a reported reconciliation between Prince Harry and his grandmother in April 2018, these accounts contribute to the enduring portrayal of a fractured relationship within the royal household during a pivotal chapter for the family.
