Author Claims The Queen Was Relieved Meghan Markle Missed Prince Philip’s Funeral: ‘Thank Goodness...'

Queen Elizabeth II reportedly felt a quiet sense of relief when Meghan Markle couldn't attend her husband Prince Philip's funeral ceremony. The Duchess of Sussex, who was pregnant at the time, remained in California. Sources suggest the Queen saw this as a welcome break from the tensions in the royal family. On April 17, 2021, the royal family gathered to honor the life of the Duke of Edinburgh, with Prince Harry arriving alone in the UK.

In his book Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors, Tom Bower reveals that the Queen spoke about Markle’s absence to her royal aides. As reported by the New York Post, she allegedly said, "Thank goodness Meghan is not coming.” The author explained, "Meghan had cited her seven months' pregnancy as the reason for not traveling." Regarding the funeral, Bower wrote, "On April 9, 2021, Prince Philip had died. His funeral was set for April 17. Harry arrived in London just before the service," as reported by the Daily Express.

He added, "The rehearsals displayed faultless military drill. Few would not be touched by the perfection of British ceremonial tradition. The weather was forecast to be outstanding. The only uncertainty was the relationship between Harry and his family. How would he cope with his father and brother?" Harry's return to British soil came just a month after his and Markle's explosive sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey, when they made several serious allegations against the royal family.

Among the most shocking claims was when Markle disclosed that during her time as a working royal, she contemplated ending her life as she grew suffocated within the institution. Harry added that when they sought help, they were met with silence from the royal family. According to Harry, mental health was simply not a conversation to be had within the Firm. Harry also claimed that watching Markle suffer, he realized what his mother, Princess Diana, went through when she was alive, as reported by CBS News.

In the interview, Markle also revealed to Winfrey that before the birth of their son, Prince Archie, unnamed senior royals had expressed concerns and engaged in discussions about how dark his skin color could be. As reported by TODAY, when Winfrey questioned Harry to know his side of the story, he said, "That conversation I am never going to share, but at the time it was awkward and I was a bit shocked. That was right at the beginning... what will the kids look like?" Both Markle and Harry, however, had nothing bad to say about the late Queen, whom she described as 'warm' and 'inviting'.