Author Claims Meghan Markle Left the Queen Horrified With a Blunt Three-Word Response to Her Advice

Meghan Markle is known to have struggled to adjust to royal life as an outsider. When her relationship with Prince Harry grew serious, she was introduced to his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. According to royal author Gyles Brandreth, the Queen offered guidance to help Markle navigate life in the royal fold. However, Markle allegedly responded to the advice with a blunt three-word remark that left the monarch shocked.

The Queen was reportedly fond of Markle initially and even invited her for her annual private Christmas dinner despite not having yet married Harry. As reported by the Mirror, Brandreth, in his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, wrote, “To help Meghan, the Queen suggested that her daughter-in-law, Sophie Wessex, would be an ideal mentor. 'Sophie can help show you the ropes,' said the Queen. But, Meghan made it clear that she did not feel she needed Sophie's help." Markle allegedly said, "I've got Harry.” Markle’s cutting reply surprised the Queen as she blatantly rejected the mentorship of the now Duchess of Edinburgh.

Duchess Sophie, married to the Queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward, is often regarded as the royal family’s secret weapon. Brandeth adds, “The Queen (who, of course, had seen it all before) understood that Harry's girl might find adjusting to royal life 'challenging to begin with.'” Sophie has even compared her own experiences to those of Markle as both women underwent a huge transition while adjusting to the royal fold. In a rare interview with The Sunday Times, she said, “Remember I’d had five years to adjust [to royal life]. And for our six-month engagement, I was even staying at Buckingham Palace. Not that you necessarily know how it will pan out.”

While Markle’s three-word remark may have left a bad taste for the Queen, it can be attributed to Markle being nervous. The Duchess once described her anxiety upon meeting the Queen for the first time. According to Elle Magazine, she quipped in the Oprah Winfrey interview, “I didn’t think that’s what happens inside. And I said, ‘But it’s your grandmother,’ and he goes, ‘It’s the Queen.’ And that was really the first moment that the penny dropped.” She admitted having done a few practice rounds of curtsying before meeting the monarch, but ended up doing a deep curtsy in the moment. Markle added, “The Queen has always been wonderful to me. It made me think of my grandmother. She’s always been warm and inviting.”

While the Queen famously broke royal protocol by inviting Markle to spend Christmas at Sandringham, her attitude reportedly shifted after Markle's royal exit. Just a month before her passing, during a drinks reception at Balmoral Castle, Her Majesty is said to have made a sharp remark aimed at Markle. Speaking to The Spectator, an insider revealed, “It was out of character for the Queen to use such a word as 'evil' to describe Meghan, but she saw straight through her. It was a startling sentence to hear from the most forgiving woman on earth.” She was also allegedly ‘furious’ when the Sussexes chose to name their daughter Lilibet.